"Billie Jean King's an icon" - Serena Williams husband Alexis Ohanian on meeting the tennis legend at an airport
Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently met "icon" Billie Jean King, at an airport.
King amassed a tally of 39 Grand Slam titles - 12 in singles, 16 doubles titles, and 11 mixed doubles during her illustrious career. She stood among the pioneers who championed equal pay for women in sports. She is also committed to advocating for women's rights as well as the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
King is also an investor in Angel City FC, a soccer club that joined the NWSL in 2022. Alexis Ohanian is also a co-owner of the same club and has made a substantial investment of $100 million in support of its growth and development.
Recently, Ohanian took to social media to share a picture of himself with Billie Jean King. In his post, he recounted the encounter with the tennis legend at an airport while en route home from an Angel City FC meeting. He stated that meeting her was fitting, dubbing King as an "icon".
"Fitting that I'd meet @billiejeanking at the airport as I'm heading home from @weareangelcity @nwsl owners meeting! She's an icon and an investor in our club 🙏🏽 ," Ohanian captioned his Instagram story.
When Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian opened up about the underinvestment in women's sports
Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, has consistently demonstrated his support for women's sports. He actively invests in women's sports, advocates for equal pay, and champions various other initiatives.
Earlier this year, Ohanian spoke to Bloomberg Quicktake where he shed light on the underinvestment in women in sports as well as women's sport. He emphasized that this lack of investment stems from society's low expectations of women, which unfortunately translates into diminished support for women in sports.
The tech entrepreneur stated that over the past five decades, the lack of investment attributed not only to the persistent issues of "racism and sexism," but also to the prevailing problem of significant "business incompetence."
"I mean it is the curse of low expectations. When we look back on the legacy of underinvestment in the last, call it 50 years, it will not just be a legacy of sexism and racism, which it is. It'll be a legacy of gross business incompetence," Ohanian said.
When the host asked Alexis Ohanian about how to build a brand around women's sports, he responded by emphasizing the importance of enhancing the value of brands within the strong fan base.
The 40-year-old highlighted that fans of women's sports, as well as sports in general, are more likely to support brands that have partnered with their favorite athletes or teams.
"You build a rabid, dogged fan base all over the world. You continue to raise the bar on brand partnerships. You continue to demonstrate the value," Alexis Ohanian said. "Women's sports fans are such amazing supporters because they’ll buy into the brands that are partnered with the clubs. Right? I mean there’s real value there."
He explained that such partnerships automatically elevate the brand's value, making it a worthwhile investment.