Alexis Ohanian, the lucky lad who managed to capture the heart of tennis queen Serena Williams, spilled the beans on how he won her over on their very first date. It turns out, all it took was a little chat about Marvel movies to seal the deal!
The Reddit co-founder described the evening as a “two hour interrogation” where he was bombarded with questions from Serena, her assistant, and her agent. It was like facing the firing squad, but Ohanian managed to dodge the bullets by steering the conversation towards Iron Man and the Marvel universe.

Their first date, a star-studded affair with Williams flanked by her agent and assistant, quickly turned into what Ohanian described as a “two-hour interrogation.” With questions flying faster than a tennis ball in a Grand Slam match, Ohanian faced a grilling that would make even the most seasoned diplomat break a sweat. “Serena, her assistant, her agent, and then me on the other side of the table, and they just bombarded me with questions,” Ohanian recalled. “It was like two hours of interrogation and questions. Do I have kids, am I married? Nothing was off limits.”
The grilling didn’t exactly serve as a warm-up to romance. In fact, Ohanian admitted that the intense questioning was like being put on the stand in a courtroom drama.
The turning point in this high-stakes dinner came when Ohanian pivoted the conversation to a topic that was kryptonite to any doubts—Marvel movies. “During dinner, he started talking about Iron Man and Marvel,” Williams revealed. “And that’s the way to my heart.” Apparently, Ohanian’s deep dive into Marvel lore wasn’t just a casual fan’s chatter but a full-fledged dissertation. “This wasn’t just a superficial, 'Hey I’ve watched a few movies,’” Ohanian recounted. “This was, 'I have deeply studied the text and I have strong opinions about this lore.’”
For Williams, who has always had a passion for sci-fi and superheroes, this was like finding a hidden treasure. Her agent, Jill Smoller, who also stars in the ESPN+ docuseries 'In The Arena,’ noted the magic of their shared interests. “It was so fascinating because they both loved the same thing. He was into sci-fi and cartoons and superheroes, and I’m like, she can finally talk to someone who likes the things that she does.”
The chemistry was indisputable, and their shared enthusiasm for superheroes wasn’t just a one-off topic of conversation. It laid the groundwork for a relationship that flourished, leading to their engagement in early 2017. Later that month, Williams made headlines again, clinching the Australian Open while pregnant with their first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. The couple welcomed their second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in 2023.
So, the key to winning over a tennis legend like Serena Williams is simple: just brush up on your Marvel knowledge and you might just find yourself a slam-dunk romance!
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