Alexis Ohanian is no stranger to making waves—whether it’s as a tech titan, a trailblazing advocate for women’s sports, or the ultimate cheerleader for his wife, Serena Williams. The “Mayor of the Internet” has built his empire on intelligence, wit, and sheer hard work. But even for someone as accomplished as Ohanian, the journey hasn’t been without its bumps. From facing criticism to enduring professional lows, he’s had his share of struggles. Recently, in a candid revelation, he shared how narrating these stories of grit and growth to his wife Serena led to some unexpectedly cheeky reactions from the tennis legend.

The 41-year-old engaged in an interaction with Simon Sinek for the latter’s A Bit of Optimism Podcast, in November this year. Ohanian highlighted a wide range of factors related to his personal and professional endeavors and shed light on his success. He also recalled some daunting memories one of which came during the early days of his venture, Reddit. Ohanian revealed that he was invited by an executive of Yahoo when Reddit was still now, which he thought to be about a potential acquisition offer. However, the meeting did not go as planned. 

Speaking in the interview, Ohanian highlighted, “He (Yahoo executive) asked about our traffic and I said you know few thousand users a day and he said you guys are a rounding error compared to Yahoo like what are you doing here.” This upset the entrepreneur who decided to use this criticism as a motivation. Returning home, Ohanian printed the statement on a paper and put it on a wall. “I wanted to look at it every morning and I wanted to remember this guy,” Ohanian remarked. However, times changed soon and Reddit surpassed Yahoo in terms of traffic. Detailing the same, Ohanian revealed that he uses such moments to motivate him in life.

“Growing up the way I grow up like I get the benefit of the doubt in so many rooms and so in these little moments I’m like oh good like like let me find a reason to be pissed at you and use that as motivation to do better,” he said. But when he narrated these stories to his wife Serena Williams, her reaction was quite intriguing. Sharing the same Ohanian said, “She’ like ‘Really? you had to work that hard to invent enemies like I just showed up at the tennis court and had people who were doing much worse things obviously to spite me or to stop me’,” highlighting how she faced hateful moments in her career. 

In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, Serena Williams revealed how difficult it was for her in the tennis circuit given the criticisms she faced. “Too muscly and too masculine, and then a week later too racy and too sexy. So for me it was just really a big joke,” Williams recalled the remarks against her. And while Ohanian, who founded Reddit in 2005 before finally quitting the company in 2020, faced challenges too, the struggles that the couple faced were quite different from each other. It is possibly for this reason as well that Ohanian often reflects his high regard for his wife and highlights the kind of challenges that she faced in her career. 

When Alexis Ohanian revealed how Serena Williams’ battles motivate him to do more for women’s sports

Alexis Ohanian’s love for his family surpasses probably everything in his life. He has often highlighted how his daughters have changed his worldview and how his legendary wife influences him to do better every day. In an interview with Gayle King for Radio Andy, Ohanian opened up yet again about his love for Serena Williams and revealed how her unseen battles motivate him to bring a positive change for women’s sports. 

Speaking in the interview, Ohanian said, “I know I am better at my job from the perspective that it gives me. I also know being blessed to have two daughters, two black daughters in particular helps me reframe even some of the most subtle things.” Continuing further, he shared, “to be married to someone who has done so much and still has to combat all kinds of ugly things, it is just a reminder of how much more needs to happen.” And Ohanian has always proved his determination, be it through organizing Athlos NYC or investing in women athletes. 

The power couple has shown how balancing ambition with love can create a bond that’s as inspiring as it is endearing. For now, it would be interesting to see what more tales Ohanian has in store about his wife.