Sign in

Love game! Serena fiance Alexis Ohanian fought nerves at Australian Open final

Tortured by nerves in a tense family affair, Serena Williams had to produce some of her best tennis to overcome sister Venus Williams who won the crowd at Rod Laver Arena by scrapping hard to the end of the Australian Open women’s tennis final. Serena was congratulated by her would-be husband Alexis Ohanian for her 6-4, 6-4 win

Updated on: Jan 28, 2017, 18:35:52 IST
By , Mumbai:
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

Serena Williams on Saturday became the most decorated singles player in the Open Era as she clinched her 23rd Grand Slam title beating her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open women’s singles final at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.

Alexis Ohanian, fiance of Serena Williams, at the Australian Open tennis championship 2017. (REUTERS)
Alexis Ohanian, fiance of Serena Williams, at the Australian Open tennis championship 2017. (REUTERS)

Serena Williams reclaimed her No.1 spot in the rankings with the win and also joined Martina Navratilova as the only other woman to win six Grand Slams without dropping a set.

It was a special night for the Williams sisters who met at a Grand Slam final after nearly eight years.

It wasn’t the most competitive or gruelling battle between the two sisters but the aura and romanticism surrounding the rivalry between the two kept the audience on the edge of their seats throughout.

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian applauds as he watches his fiancee United States' Serena Williams defeat Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in her first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne on January 17. (AP)
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian applauds as he watches his fiancee United States' Serena Williams defeat Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in her first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne on January 17. (AP)

Among them were Reddit co-founder and Serena’s fiance Alexis Ohanian, who could be seen vividly tensed and upset every time Serena failed to convert a break point or take a winner.

However, to his relief and the majority of the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena, Serena quickly got back to her feet and served big to pile up the pressure on Venus.

However, once Serena got the break in the seventh game of the second set and held her serve to go 5-3 up, there were smiles on Alexis Ohanian’s face who knew the record was just a game away.

Serena took 41 minutes to win the second set and the championship and blew a kiss Ohanian at the stands soon after.

“I’m really a career-oriented woman but it’s a bonus to have my fiancee around,” Serena told after the match.

Ohanian took to Twitter to wish Serena on her 7th Australian Open victory.

“I’m so proud of you, Serena,” he stated, while retweeting the championship point.

The official Twitter handle of the Australian Open later posted a video where Ohanian could be seen meeting Serena off-court to congratulate her.

  • Bihan Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Bihan Sengupta

    Bihan is a multimedia correspondent and works with the sports desk in Mumbai. He mostly covers cricket but his interests include football, tennis and badminton as well.

Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.