Serena Williams recently offered a first look at her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian. Williams and her spouse, Alexis Ohanian, celebrated the arrival of their second child this past August.
The 42-year-old, who retired from competitive tennis in 2022 to focus on her family and business ventures, announced her second pregnancy with a stunning Gucci gown at the Met Gala in May. She and Ohanian’s first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was born in September 2017.
On Thursday, October 5, Williams posted two pictures of her newborn on her Instagram account. In the first picture, Williams can be seen sitting on a couch holding Adira in her arms while her elder daughter Olympia is gently leaning on her shoulder.
In the second picture, the American shared a close-up of Adira’s legs in which she is wearing white socks.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner recently stated that it was very hard to raise two children at the same time, especially when one of them falls ill. She also expressed admiration for the parents who are in the same position as her and are doing a great job.
“Having 2 kids is definitely not easy. How do you moms/ dads do it so well!!!??? Especially when one gets sick? Mad respect,” she said in a tweet.
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian advocates for better paternity leave policies
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian recently reiterated his support for universal paid parental leave.
Ohanian temporarily put his professional obligations on hold after the birth of his second daughter, Adira, in order to prioritize his family’s well-being. During this time, he has actively highlighted the importance of paternity leave, stressing its significant benefits for his own family.
“One month into my #PaternityLeave, as grateful as I am that Adira’s birth was smooth & Serena has been recovering well; this leave has been vital for our family,” he recently posted on Twitter (now X).
The Reddit co-founder revealed that he realized the importance of paid parental leave when Williams faced life-threatening challenges during the delivery of their daughter, Olympia, in 2017.
“With Olympia, watching my wife fight for her life, I realized not having paid leave was unconscionable. Sure, all my employees had it, but the vast majority of Americans don’t — and that includes new moms (1 in 4 women in the US return to work within 2 weeks of childbirth),” he wrote.
Ohanian promised to keep pushing for paid parental leave until every American has the opportunity to enjoy these benefits.
“And I won’t stop this fight until every American has the same opportunity I had. If we believe that the family unit is the foundation of a society, we owe it to every American to set them up for success during these crucial first weeks,” he added.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have been married since November 2017, after dating for two years.
