American tennis great Serena Williams had to go through various challenges to make her mark in the tennis world. It was very difficult for a girl from Compton to rise to that level. Be it the neighborhood she grew up in, or the challenges of being an African-American athlete, she faced it all.

Another tragedy that hit the Williams family was the tragic death of Yetunde Prince, the half-sister of Serena and Venus Williams. It shattered Serena, and its impact can still be observed on her. However, grief at times helps us connect with people who are enduring similar pain. That was exactly the case for Serena and Alexis Ohanian.

Alexis Ohanian revealed the impact of personal tragedies on his relationship with Serena

When Serena lost her sister in 2003, she was in the process of reaching the peak years of her career. The pain was deep, and she was still very young to accept it. Similarly, Alexis Ohanian had to go through unbearable grief when his mother was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 22. The Reddit cofounder revealed in 2017 how facing pain at a very early age somehow worked as a common factor between them and helped them connect on a different level.

“One of the first things we really connected on at a deeper level was that she lost her sister during a formative time in her life. And my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer when I was 22, just as we were starting Reddit. For both of us, we learned at a young age the pain of loss. And I think for both of us, this helped make us who we are,” Ohanian said.

Read more: ‘I’m Like the Parasite’ – Serena Williams Once Made a DC Comics Reference About How She Toppled the Likes of Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Others

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Serena and Alexis dated for almost two years before they finally tied the knot in 2017. The couple also has a five-year-old daughter, Olympia.

Serena Williams was protective of her daughter even before her birth

The tragedies that Ohanian and Serena faced early in their life made them care even more for their daughter. The two of them put in extra effort and are exemplary parents for the modern generation. Back in 2017, when Serena was pregnant with Olympia, former Romanian tennis player, Ilie Năstase made some unpleasant remarks about Serena and her unborn child.

While he first attacked the former world number one with the accusation of doping, later, he also made a racist remark about Serena’s then-unborn daughter. As a response, Serena issued a stern warning to the former tennis star, and later he apologized for his comments.

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We have seen Serena face various challenges throughout her career. The way she performed at the topmost level, after all that is indeed remarkable.

Do you have a favorite moment from Serena’s almost three-decade-long career? Let us know in the comments.