Listen up men, your new love guru is Serena Williams‘ husband Alexis Ohanian.
The 35-year-old Reddit and Initialized Capital co-founder gushes about his tennis star wife of more than a year and their 1-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., aka Olympia, in an essay he wrote for Glamour, published on Thursday, Valentine’s Day.
Calling Serena the “GMOAT” (greatest mom of all time), Alexis writes about how important it is to “show up” and “be supportive” of your significant other. He talks about a heartwarming Sunday tradition of making pancake breakfasts and spending time with his family. He also describes the difficulties of being physically apart—his and Serena’s careers require them to travel a lot, even internationally.
“Comparing calendars isn’t romantic, but at the start of every year, Serena and I map out our schedules so ideally there isn’t more than a week that we go without seeing each other,” he writes. “I brought Google Calendar into her world so we could see each other’s schedules at any time, which would also make it easier to plan an impromptu call if we’re away from each other—a day without FaceTime is rough when you’ve been away from each other for two weeks.”
“My understanding of showing up and being present for my wife was taken to a whole new level when Olympia was born,” he continues. “I was able to take 16 weeks of paid leave from Reddit, and it was one of the most important decisions I’ve made.”
He added, “And it was perhaps even more meaningful to be there for my wife and to adjust to this new life we created together—especially after all the complications she had during and after the birth.”
Alexis writes that after he returned from paternity leave, he also made sure to set aside time to be with their daughter, even if it means bringing her to work.
“When Serena has an intense day of training or a photo shoot, I’ll spend the day with Olympia,” he said. “I’m fortunate to be my own boss, which comes with the freedoms of doing things like bringing my daughter into the office, or working remotely from virtually anywhere Serena competes. My partners at Initialized are used to seeing Olympia jump on camera—along with Qai Qai—or hearing her babbling on a call. I tell them with pride, ‘Olympia’s at work today!'”
Meanwhile, Alexis continues to support Serena with regard to her tennis career, saying that sometimes it “really does have to come first.”
“I’m far from perfect, but I try to get behind her and let her know I’m there for her and our daughter, no matter what,” he writes.