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Serena Williams brought the power to the US Open on Monday night, but the likability quotient was upped by someone else.
Her daughter, Olympia Ohanian, who is Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., provided her own entertainment the moment she set foot on Arthur Ashe Stadium, staging a packed crowd of pearl-braided celebs who be an emotional response to his mother’s first of six US Open championships. in the year 1999.
Wearing a sparkly dress that mimicked her mother’s, she posed for photos and chatted with her father as Williams took care of business by dispatching Danka Kovinic in a straight-sets first-round victory.
Outlook: Serena Williams sheds cape, finds form and owns US Open stage again
“It was either her pearls or me,” Williams told reporters afterward. “I wanted to do it, but I didn’t have time…she was so happy when she wore them. It’s perfect for her.”
Olympia, who turns 5 on Thursday, is a prodigy in her own right. Olympia’s resume, in no particular order, includes making the cover of Vogue’s September issue (the fold-out part; mom got the cover treatment), owning an Instagram account with over 600,000 followers, and photos impossibly adorable in their antics; and became the youngest co-owner in professional sports when she was part of a group that acquired the Los Angeles Angel City football franchise at age 3.
In between mom photos, Olympia played with her aunt Isha Price’s hair and sat cheering the action on dad’s lap. Afterwards, there was ice cream in the player’s lounge.
In the Vogue interview, Williams explained that she is weeks away from evolving into a life away from the court, a life that will include businesses and possibly expanding her family.
Sports journalist Cindy Boren explains why 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams plans to retire from tennis. (Video: Julie Yoon, Neeti Upadhye, Jackson Barton/The Washington Post)
“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think that’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be playing and winning while my wife did the physical work of growing our family,” Williams told Rob Haskell. “Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that chance. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman and I’m loving every second of being pregnant with Olympia.
Serena Williams isn’t done yet after her US Open first-round victory
“I was one of those annoying women who loved being pregnant and was working right up until the day I had to report to hospital, although things got really complicated on the other side. [when she nearly died]. And I almost did the impossible: a lot of people don’t realize I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But I’ll be 41 this month. [Sept. 26]and something has to give.”
But not quite yet. A second-round singles match on Wednesday against No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit, as well as doubles play with her sister Venus, and excitement is likely to be intense.
“The crowd was crazy,” Williams said during the postgame ceremony, with her husband and daughter nearby. “They really helped me get going. I got really excited, like, ‘Yeah, I got this.’