Serena Williams has opened up about her relationship to Alexis Ohanian, revealing that the one thing she was most surprised to learn about marriage is that it is “not bliss” but it “can be if you work at it”.
The tennis star spoke candidly about life with the Reddit cofounder, and about what she requires in a relationship, during a video interview with Bumble for the dating app’sThe Question Game.
During the video, which Williams shared on Instagram, she was asked at one point what she was “surprised to learn about marriage”.
“Marriage is not bliss,” she responded while laughing. “But it can be if you work at it.”
A combo photo of Serena Williams with her daughter.
Williams also revealed that she has learned that love is an “amazing feeling” and if you have an opportunity to experience love, “then it’s a special thing”.
However, the Olympic gold medallist did remind her fans that heartbreak is “part of life,” and that it is not limited to a romantic relationship.
“Heartbreak is a part of life, whether it be a loved one, a boyfriend, or an animal,” she said. “But time heals all wounds.”
Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian arrive for the wedding ceremony Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel.
As for the dealbreaker that Williams wouldn’t accept in a relationship, she said that loyalty is extremely important to her.
“A dealbreaker for me in a relationship is definitely loyalty. Well, not having it, that is,” she revealed.
Williams and Ohanian first began dating in September 2015, before later tying the knot in November 2017.
A combo photo of Serena Williams with her daughter and husband.
The pair welcomed their first child together, daughter Olympia, in September 2017, with Williams telling Bumble that she had always known that she wanted to become a mother.
She said: “I always knew I wanted kids. I never knew when but I always knew I wanted kids at some point.”
Ohanian has previously opened up about his and Williams’ relationship as well, with the tech guru telling Vanity Fair in 2016 that he knew he wanted to marry the tennis star because he “felt like a door had been opened to a person who made me want to be my best self”.
“I find myself just wanting to be better by simply being around her because of the standard she holds,” he said.
The Independent