Serena Williams’ husband is usually content to hang back and let the tennis legend get all the shine.
But the first week of the new year was different. Businessman Alexis Ohanian let out a couple of roars in defense of his barrier-breaking wife, who was targeted for sexist comments by a tennis tournament owner.
Ohanian, 37, the multimillionaire co-owner of the news service Reddit, did not appreciate the deprecating comments fired off by Madrid Open owner Ion Tiriac, who is 81.
“Serena was a sensational player,” Tiriac told Romanian public channel TVR recently. “If she had a little decency, she would retire. At this age and the weight she is now, she does not move as easily as she did 15 years ago.”
Ouch.
Ohanian let Tiriac know that he had the time today to clap back at his wife’s haters.
“Safe to say no one gives a d— what Ion Tiriac thinks.”
Serena’s husband also added this parting shot as a deterrent in case anyone else wants to spout negativity in his wife’s direction.
2021 and no holding back when a racist/sexist clown with a platform comes for my family.
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) January 4, 2021
Ohanian is fiercely protective of his wife and daughter and doesn’t hesitate to show his love for them.
Business Dad life never stops. Though sometimes it pauses for a family photo. Trying to do the best I can for these two. pic.twitter.com/5HH14k5dnE
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) December 30, 2020
But Serena, who is known mononymously worldwide, can handle her own. She has had to check him back in 2018 when he let it known he’s tired of her winning — and tired of her.
“I would like to see something else, I would like to see a player like [German tennis legend] Steffi Graf,” Tiriac said, according to the New York Times.
“I always say people are entitled to their opinion…Clearly there’s more to women’s tennis than me,” she told the Times then. “There’s a lot more, but I’ll have words with him, believe me, I’ll have words with him. It’s an ignorant comment, and it’s a sexist comment, and maybe he’s an ignorant man.”
