Serena Williams’ Husband Calls Out Attack on Coco Gauff and Other WTA Stars’ Abilities

Serena Williams needs no introduction. Her 23 Grand Slams and 73 singles titles over two decades speak volumes! Her love for tennis was legendary, and the day she retired in 2022 was truly bittersweet. Yet, her legacy remains huge, still celebrated today—even by her husband, Alexis Ohanian. They met in 2015 during a chance encounter at Rome’s Cavalieri Hotel. After some light banter, Serena invited him to watch her play at that year’s French Open! Now, seven years into marriage, Alexis still cherishes the passion for women’s sport Serena sparked in him.

The 2025 French Open just wrapped up after two weeks of fierce competition! On the ATP side, history was made as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played the longest Roland Garros final ever—five hours and 29 minutes! Meanwhile, the WTA had its own milestones. Coco Gauff claimed the title against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday, becoming the first American to win since Serena in 2015, ten years ago! But not everyone was happy with the tournament rules.

One X user tweeted on June 7, “Unfortunately, I believe women’s tennis will difficulty ever be seen as equal if they don’t play best-of-5 sets. There’s just no way you can mediatically compete with this in the eyes of the average spectator.” They pointed to the difference in sets—men play best-of-five, women best-of-three, needing just two sets to win. However, Ohanian doesn’t quite agree.

On June 9, he wrote on X, “As someone who discovered tennis through the women’s game, I fell in love with the drama of every point mattering. When I finally watched a men’s match, I was confused. Five sets? It made the early games feel like warm-up acts instead of high-stakes battle. The tension was diluted, not heightened.” Could he be right?

As someone who discovered tennis through the women’s game, I fell in love with the drama of every point mattering. When I finally watched a men’s match, I was confused. Five sets? It made the early games feel like warm-up acts instead of high-stakes battle. The tension was… pic.twitter.com/9r50a2OT8b

— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) June 9, 2025

The ATP final featured the top two seeds and an intense rivalry. Jannik tried to break his 4-8 head-to-head deficit against Carlos. Early on, it looked like the Italian might win, given Carlos’ history of never coming back from two sets down. But the Spaniard showed his grit and took the crown. Fans and the tennis world watched history unfold on Court Philippe Chatrier. Yet, Coco’s match was thrilling too.

At 21, Coco was chasing her first French Open title after nearly winning in 2022. Her opponent, Sabalenka, was in her first French Open final, aiming for her fourth Grand Slam. When Gauff hit match point, the stadium erupted for the American, who clinched her second Grand Slam after the 2023 US Open.

But should women play best-of-five sets? The debate rages on. In 2023, Amelie Mauresmo, the Tournament Director, supported the idea. She told Telegraph.co.uk, “What I’ve always thought, and this was also as a player, I would love to play a grand-slam final best-of-five or how it was at the year-end WTA championships.”

Mauresmo didn’t stop there. She admitted she’d seriously consider it for women’s tennis. “That is something that I would have really loved, and it’s definitely something that I would really think about, if that would add something to women’s tennis.”

Only time will tell if this debate turns into action. In the meantime, Ohanian will continue advocating for women’s sports. He’s already taken a few steps in the right direction!

Serena Williams’ husband makes a new investment in women’s sports

Alexis Ohanian is all about inspiring others to push boundaries and reach for excellence. Reflecting on women’s sports, he once said, “The silver lining of women’s sports being so underinvested was that they were so easy to invest in. You can try anything you want. There is no way that things have been done before.” Back in 2020, he became a founding investor in Angel City FC, the Los Angeles NWSL team—a move born from pure instinct that opened the door to the soccer world.

Fast forward to today, and Ohanian is doubling down. Last month, he shared on Instagram, “I’ve bet big on women’s sports before—as the founding control owner of @weareangelcity—and I’m doing it again. I’m proud to announce that I’m joining @chelseafcw as a minority owner and board member. I’m honored for the chance to help this iconic club become America’s favorite @barclayswsl team and much, much more.” Even Williams couldn’t help but celebrate, reposting with the caption, “ANOTHER ONE FOR @776FUND AND @ALEXISOHANIAN .”

What fuels Ohanian’s passion? Serena Williams is at the heart of it! He once told CNBC, “Serena Williams is the prototype for how you can show women’s sports is and can be and should be on the same level as men’s.” Their daughter Olympia also played a big role in his commitment. “A big part of the reason why I started Angel City FC was because Olympia was running around, this is 2019 in a Alex Morgan jersey,” he shared. Family and vision clearly drive his investments.

Now, with Wimbledon and the grass court season just around the corner, all eyes are on what’s next for women’s sports. Will Ohanian’s bold words ring true, or will we see some changes in the WTA? Drop your thoughts below!

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