"Days after our baby girl was born, I kissed my wife goodbye" - When Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reflected on her near-death experience
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian once reflected on her traumatic near-death experience after giving birth to their daughter Olympia. Ohanian expressed his admiration for the progress the American legend had made since her life-threatening ordeal.
Williams and Ohanian experienced the joy of welcoming their first child, daughter Olympia, in September 2017. However, the birth was far from smooth as the American faced multiple life-threatening issues, beginning with an emergency C-section due to her heart rate dropping dangerously low during contractions.
Even after Olympia was safely delivered, the health complications didn't end for the former World No. 1. Williams had a pulmonary embolism and was rushed to surgery, where the doctors discovered a large hematoma in her abdomen. She then had to return to the operating room to undergo another procedure to prevent blood clots from reaching her lungs.
Just 10 months after her harrowing ordeal, Serena Williams demonstrated her resilience by reaching the final of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships. However, the American faltered in her attempt to match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles, suffering a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Angelique Kerber.
Nevertheless, Alexis Ohanian expressed immense pride in the enormity of his wife's achievement, revealing that not too long ago he had kissed Serena Williams goodbye when she was wheeled into surgery after giving birth to their daughter Olympia.
"Days after our baby girl was born, I kissed my wife goodbye before surgery and neither of us knew if she would be coming back. We just wanted her to survive—10 months later, she's in the #Wimbledon final," Ohanian captioned his Instagram post.
Ohanian also graciously congratulated Kerber on her triumph, while displaying confidence that the 23-time Grand Slam champion would be back to winning trophies in no time.
"Congratulations, @angie.kerber. @serenawilliams will be holding a trophy again soon—she's got the greatest one waiting at home for her. Our family knows she'll win many more trophies, too. She's just getting started. And I couldn't be more proud," he added.
"Such a long way to see light at the end of the road" - Serena Williams echoed her husband Alexis Ohanian's sentiments after Wimbledon 2018 loss
Serena Williams echoed her husband Alexis Ohanian's sentiments after her loss to Angelique Kerber in the 2018 Wimbledon Championships final. Speaking in her post-match press conference, the American admitted that just a few months earlier, she had doubted her ability to make a comeback after giving birth to their daughter Olympia.
"It was a great opportunity for me. You know, I didn't know a couple of months ago where I was, where I would be, how I would do, how I would be able to come back. It was such a long way to see light at the end of the road kind of," Serena Williams said.
Williams emphasized that her run to the final of the grasscourt Major had strengthened her belief that she remained a formidable contender for Grand Slam titles.
"So I think these two weeks have really showed me that, okay, I can compete. Obviously I can compete for the long run in a Grand Slam. I can, you know, come out and be a contender to win Grand Slams," she added.
Although Serena Williams reached three more Major finals after her loss in the 2018 Wimbledon final, she failed to add to her tally, concluding her career at the 2022 US Open with 23 Grand Slam titles to her name.