Serena Williams’ proud husband Alexis Ohanian has gone to great lengths to show his love for the tennis champ – he’s purchased four huge billboards featuring their little daughter Olympia.
The Reddit co-founder designed the billboards himself as a way of welcoming his new-wife back to tennis after she took a break from the sport to give birth to their daughter – but not before winning the 2017 Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant.
She’ll soon compete in the 2018 BNP Paribas Open in March, which takes place in Palm Springs, where the billboards are located.
Serena, 36, recently revealed that while she had a relatively easy pregnancy, her birth came with some life-threatening complications.
“I almost died after giving birth to my daughter, Olympia. Yet, I consider myself fortunate,” Serena wrote in a recent column for CNN.
The tennis superstar decided to share her story as a way of highlighting the importance of affordable health care for mothers and children.
“I am so grateful I had access to such an incredible medical team of doctors and nurses at a hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They knew exactly how to handle this complicated turn of events. If it weren’t for their professional care, I wouldn’t be here today,” she penned.
WATCH: Serena gives fans an inside look at her journey to motherhood. Post continues…
Previously, in the cover story of Vogue’s February issue, Serena revealed her daughter was born by emergency caesarean after her heart rate dropped dangerously low. The surgery went well, Serena’s husband Alexis cut the cord and the couple’s tiny newborn was laid on Serena’s chest for the first time.
“That was an amazing feeling,” Serena recalled. “And then everything went bad.”
What followed was a traumatic six-day a pulmonary embolism (when arteries in the lungs become blocked by a blood clot) that led to multiple surgeries and complications.
When Serena finally returned home, she was bedridden for six weeks and unable to care for her precious newborn daughter. Those first couple of months were incredibly trying for the new-mum who admits she still struggles with her the role of motherhood.
“Sometimes I get really down and feel like, man, I can’t do this,” she said. “It’s that same negative attitude I have on the court sometimes. I guess that’s just who I am. No one talks about the low moments — the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry.”
Despite her self doubts — and her serious medical complications — Serena and Alexis are still considering more children, yet say they “are in no rush.”
