Venus Williams Shares Sweet Nickname Serena Williams' Kids Call Her
Venus Williams' nickname is a total ace.
Indeed, the pro tennis player shared the special name her sister Serena Williams' kids with husband Alexis Ohanian, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., 8, and Adira River Ohanian, 2, call her—and it's cute as can be.
In a May 2025 article for UsWeekly, Venus shared, "My nieces call me Auntie Vivi."
And for Venus, having a close relationship with her nieces means the world, as she also noted, "My proudest accomplishment is being a big sister."
Soon, Alexis and Adira will also have a new uncle, as Venus confirmed her engagement to actor and model Andrea Preti in July, making it official to the media during a post-match interview by saying, “Yes, my fiancé is here. And he really encouraged me to keep playing.”
She also shared that her match earlier that day was his first time seeing her play, and it seems he may be her lucky charm, as she won her first singles match in over a year.
Following the big win at the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025, she kept it up at the U.S. Open—this time with a new partner, as her sister retired from the sport in 2022. However, Serena was happy to see Venus, 45, succeed with 22-year-old partner Leylah Fernandez, even if she joked about being just a bit jealous.
In a video posted on TikTok Aug. 31, Serena, 43, shared a video of the duo before their match before turning the camera on herself as she playfully rolled her eyes. Moments later, she pretended to force a smile while her eyes darted back and forth.
“When you see your sister @Venus Williams has a new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez,” Serena captioned her TikTok video Aug. 31, sarcastically quipping, “and you are really happy she’s winning with someone else.”
However, earlier in the tournament Serena shared how proud she was of her big sis.
“Strength, courage, determination, class, perseverance, inspiration… there’s not enough words to describe how proud I am of you @VenusWilliams,” she wrote in a post on Instagram Aug. 26. “P.S. I hope to be like you.”
For more on Serena's motherhood journey, keep reading.
Serena and Alexis Ohanian didn't find out the sex of their child, but the tennis legend told Vogue she always suspected it'd be a girl. "Two weeks after we found out [I was pregnant,] I played the Australian Open," she said. "I told Alexis it has to be a girl because there I was playing in 100-degree weather, and that baby never gave me any trouble. Ride or die. Women are tough that way."
Before giving birth, Serena gave an in-depth interview to Vogue, where she discussed her inevitable return to the court. "I used to think I'd want to retire when I have kids, but no," she shared. "I'm definitely coming back."
"Walking out there and hearing the crowd, it may seem like nothing. But there's no better feeling in the world...If anything, this pregnancy has given me a new power. I think I've had a love-hate relationship with the idea of power...Not only me, but women in general sometimes feel that 'power' is a bad word."
As a female in the sports industry, she's dealt with sexism first-hand. Serena told us, "It's something we have to deal with in our lives, and I think if it is a girl, mommy is probably one of the best people that has been dealing with it, so we will have a lot of talk about!"
In conversation with E! News, Williams shared, "I have been really fortunate and I have had a really good pregnancy, and everything has just been really good. Sometimes I am walking in my house, and I'm like, 'I really like being pregnant.' I never thought I would say that. I am definitely [the type] that enjoys it."
"I knew it was coming. I was like, ‘Serena, you're 35, you're ready. This is what you want,'" the athlete recalled to Vanity Fair about learning of her pregnancy. "If you would have told me last year in October or November that I would have a baby, not be pregnant but have a baby, I would have thought you were the biggest liar in the world. This is kind of how I am right now. This is happening sooner than later, and it's going by so fast."
Despite taking a break from tennis throughout her pregnancy, Serena told Gayle King at a TED2017 talk, "My story isn't over...This is just a new part of my life. My baby is going to be in the stands—hopefully cheering for me, and not crying too much!"
While making her keynote speech at the BlogHer Conference in June 2017, Williams touched on the greatest advice her mom gave her. "And so I feel like all those lessons [my mom] taught me about being so strong," she shared, "of proud of who I am, of being able to look anyone in the face and have confidence and speak with so much confidence is something that I really have been able to embrace and would love to teach my kid that."
After announcing her pregnancy in April 2017, she penned an emotional note to her unborn child on Instagram. "My Dearest Baby, You gave me the strength I didn't know I had," she wrote. "You taught me the true meaning of serenity and peace. I can't wait to meet you."
"I can't wait for you to join the player's box next year, but most importantly, I am so happy to share being number one in the world with you.... once again today. On @alexisohanian bday. From the world's oldest number one to the world's youngest number one. -Your Mommy."
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