Serena Williams’ husband makes her cry with four billboards
Serena Williams (bottom left) is joined by her husband and daughter, Alexis and Alexis Jr (top right), at the 2018 Fed Cup on February 10. Photo: Getty
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian has welcomed his wife back to tennis by erecting four billboards bearing the face of their daughter, Alexis Ohanian Jr, and the words, ‘Greatest Momma of all time’.
The Reddit founder put the billboards on a freeway into Palm Springs, where Williams travelled on Monday ahead of her competitive comeback at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open in March.
Ohanian shared photos of the billboards to Instagram with the caption: “these just went up alongside I-10 into Palm Springs. @olympiaohanian & I wanted to welcome her back to tennis. Designed them myself, with some help from Jr.”
He used the hastag #GMOAT, a play on Williams’ usual title of Greatest of All Time or GOAT, but with the word ‘Momma’ inserted.
Williams commented on the series of photos posted by her husband: “Literally am crying. This is so sweet. I love you.”
The BNP Paribas Open marks the first time the 23-time grand slam winner will play in a singles tournament since pulling out of the Australian Open in January this year.
Williams and Ohanian got married in November 2017, shortly after welcoming Alexis Jr on September 1.
The tennis star has spoken openly about how she almost died delivering her daughter as a result of a pulmonary embolism, which caused complications that left her bedridden for six weeks after the birth.
“I am so grateful I had access to such an incredible medical team of doctors and nurses at a hospital with state-of-the-art equipment,” she wrote in a letter for CNN.
“They knew exactly how to handle this complicated turn of events. If it weren’t for their professional care, I wouldn’t be here today.”