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Serena Williams' husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, was mistakenly referred to as her “umbrella holder” during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 42-year-old tennis champion and her 41-year-old tech investor husband attended the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris, France on Friday, July 26. The couple, who have been married since 2017, walked the red carpet alongside their six-year-old daughter, Olympia.
As the famous family posed for photos on the red carpet, Ohanian was seen standing behind the tennis star, who was wearing a ruched red mid-length dress and carrying a matching red handbag, with a blue umbrella to protect her from the rain.
However, a Eurosport television commentator accidentally called Ohanian his wife's “umbrella maker” during a broadcast of the opening ceremony.[Serena] “It looks absolutely amazing. There’s someone behind us holding an umbrella,” they said. “That’s the level you aspire to, having a real umbrella stand behind you.”
The moment sparked plenty of viral reactions on X, formerly Twitter, as fans shared their enjoyment at Ohanian's latest title.
“When you’re Serena Williams’ husband you’re her personal umbrella holder and you’re going to like it,” one fan joked on the platform.
“That ‘umbrella holder’ is her HUSBAND and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian,” another user aptly noted.
“And you know he would love to be called Serena Williams’ ‘umbrella stand,’” a third person said.
In fact, the father of two seemed to appreciate his new job as his wife’s “umbrella holder,” taking to Instagram to joke about the mix-up. Ohanian shared a photo of himself, Williams, and their daughter watching the Olympics opening ceremony from the stands. “Olympia. Serena. Serena’s personal umbrella holder,” he wrote in the caption, along with a laughing-crying face emoji. “Let the games begin! I’ll be watching a lot of T&F to soak up the @athlos inspiration.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion later played a key role during the opening ceremony. Williams joined dozens of athletes who lit the Olympic cauldron in a torch relay along the River Seine.
This isn't the first time Ohanian has shown his appreciation for his wife, despite critics claiming he's a supporting character to the iconic athlete. In 2022, rapper Drake referred to the businessman as Williams' “groupie” in the song “Middle of the Ocean,” from his collaborative album with 21 Savage, titled His lost.
“Besides, Serena, your husband is a groupie / He says we ain't got no problem but / Nah, baby, it's like you coming here for sushi,” Drake raps on the song.
Ohanian quickly responded to Drake in a thread posted on X, writing, “The reason I keep winning is because I’m relentless in being the best at everything I do, including being the best groupie to my wife and daughter.”
The Reddit co-founder added: “It's a cliché, but life changed when I became a husband and a dad. It made me a hundred times better as a man and as an entrepreneur.
“In @serenawilliams I found a partner who I knew I would never surpass and who would always motivate me to be better.”
Williams and Ohanian tied the knot in November 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two months before the wedding, they welcomed their first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian. At the 2023 Met Gala, Williams revealed that she was pregnant with her second child. The couple announced the arrival of their youngest daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August 2023.
