Serena Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, recently found themselves at the center of another unfounded controversy when an old vacation photo of the couple began circulating online.
The snapshot shows the pair relaxing on vacation. Williams can be seen wearing a dark- colored wife and full-body bathing suit, while Ohanian sported swim trunks and shoulder-length hair. The image was originally taken during their family trip to the south of France back in 2021.
The photo sparked a wave of commentary that quickly devolved into tired stereotypes and misguided assumptions about the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s motivations for marriage. What started as a simple throwback image transformed into a platform for critics to question the authenticity of one of sports’ most celebrated power couples.
An X user reposted the photograph with the caption “Serena Williams crip walked for the culture then went home to this dude.” The slight jab was also a reference to the tennis icon’s cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show.
And doesnt mean she is loyal to him, just his bank account.
— Morgan Kodysz (@MorganKodysz) May 22, 2025
Responses came swiftly and decisively.
One user immediately fired back, “And……where is your rich tech founder??” This led to another taking issue with that response: “She was financially fine before him? This is a bad take.”
The replies continued along that track, with supporters highlighting the genuine nature of the couple’s relationship. One commented, “Wealth was hardly a factor in her decision to choose [him] as a partner, she genuinely likes this dude…love is love I guess.”
The suggestion that Williams, a woman who has shattered records and built a massive fortune through her own talent and business acumen, somehow needed to “marry up” financially is factually incorrect.
Williams established herself as a multi-millionaire global icon and savvy businesswoman long before Ohanian entered her life in 2015.
When she was a teenager, her father, Richard Williams, required her to start managing the million-dollar checks she started to receive. In fact, between the ages of 16 to 21, she had earned $13 million over five years from her Puma endorsement.
At one point in her career, she was earning so much money that she didn’t care much about it. She once left checks at her major tournaments and even attempted to deposit seven figures into an ATM, only to discover that banking laws prevented such transactions.
Williams boasts an estimated net worth of $340 million, accumulated through her legendary tennis career, lucrative endorsements, and diverse business ventures.
Ohanian, while certainly successful with his estimated $150 million net worth from co-founding Reddit and his venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, is the partner with less accumulated wealth.
Over the years, Ohanian has been accused of living off of Williams’ big tennis bucks, and the couple has dismissed that claim too.
The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter. pic.twitter.com/oaEKuRWFnj
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) November 4, 2022
Their combined financial success underscores their status as a genuine power couple, each bringing substantial individual achievements to their union.
The couple’s relationship dynamics reveal sweet personal details that contradict any notion of calculated partnership.
Williams has also been refreshingly open about how much she actually loves her man’s hair being long.
According to People, during a 2020 Instagram Q&A session amid the COVID pandemic, she admitted, “Full responsibility for Alexis’ hair,” which is when he let it grow — not before they wed and had two children.
“I told him around [the start of ] COVID that he should grow his hair out and he took it literally,” she continued. “I showed him a picture of when he had his hair long and he’s been growing it ever since. And now it’s getting really long and I kinda think it’s hot.”
Since their 2017 marriage, the couple has welcomed two daughters, Olympia and Adira, while building a family foundation rooted in mutual respect and shared accomplishments.
Ohanian has spoken openly about how Williams inspires him, from her unmatched work ethic to her dedication as a mother.
Their relationship timeline shows a natural progression from their 2015 meeting to marriage and parenthood, built on genuine connection rather than financial strategy.
The resurfaced photo controversy might have caused a dust-up, but those who have followed the couple are clear: they love each other to pieces.
