Elina Svitolina’s journey in tennis is nothing short of glory and success. With 17 WTA tour titles and becoming the first Olympian to win a medal in tennis for Ukraine, she reached a career-high rank of World No. 3 with grace. However, for her, one of the best moments of her life and career is related to none other than Serena Williams. In a recent podcast, she explained how her “confidence” got a boost during the Olympics of 2016.

During a conversation on the podcast Sky Sports Tennis, Elina Svitolina reflected on the three best moments of her life. Of those, her incredible triumph over Serena Williams at the 2016 Rio Olympics stands as the third. “Beating Serena at the Olympics in Brazil. That time I was still very young, and that moment definitely was like a good starting to the future,” she said to the host of the show, Laura Robson.

As she looked back at the triumph, the then-ranked 20th in the world spoke about how she considered it the defining moment of her career. “My confidence was great, and for people also in Ukraine at the time, it was amazing… It was an extremely tough match…I was down and out.” Through her victory over then-World No. 1, she not only etched her name in the history of sports, but it also resonated deeply with the people of her country, Ukraine.

Furthermore, from the five times they had previously met at that time, the meet at Rio was the first time Elina was able to break the winning streak of Williams. The following year, she overcame her countrywoman, Alona Bondarenko, to become the first Ukrainian woman to earn a place in the top 10.

Therefore, it indeed became a special victory for her while in her journey to success. Even after that match, her opponent, Serena Williams, could not help but appreciate her performance.

“She played really well,” said Serena Williams after her loss against Svitolina

The then-22-year-old Svitolina defeated the defending champion with a score of 6-4, 6-3. With that, the 34-year-old’s reign at the Olympics came to an end for that year. Serena Williams, who was visibly disappointed, pointed out, “She played really well, and I think the better player won today.”

On the other hand, Svitolina’s joy was apparent. After the match, she said, “I consider it the biggest win of my career because it’s at the Olympics. Right now, I’m in the clouds. I can’t even believe it because truly, it was incredible.”

Even after eight years of that triumph, her amazement remains the same. Although she did not qualify past the quarterfinals that year. But, later on, she earned a bronze medal for her country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, for her, the 2016 Olympics still remain one of the best moments of her life, and rightly so!

Amidst the glitz and glamour of the tennis world, Olympia Ohanian, daughter of Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, is creating her own way on the golf course. While her mother’s tennis history looms large, Olympia finds warmth and fulfillment in spending quality time with her father, boosting her golf talents and devotion.

Not only does Williams’ daughter have an interest in golf, but she is also the owner of LA Golf Club, an investment done by her 40-year-old entrepreneur father on her part. However, while navigating her young journey into any sport, golf is definitely a top priority for the six-year-old.

Just like any other Sunday, the father-daughter duo recently played golf, and a few pictures of the 6-year-old playing golf were posted on her Instagram handle. Along with that, the caption reads, “In my Golf Girl Era. ️‍♀️ @weareangelcity” 

While Olympia is definitely in her golf era, the Reddit co-founder also took to his Instagram account to share the same post and highlighted how he enjoyed a “Daddy Caddy Sunday.” Subsequently, he also tagged the golf coach, Brittany Ferrante who teaches her to play some good golf.

In addition, the coach even praised the 23-time Grand Slam Champion’s daughter for her amazing growth in golf, as she mentioned on her Instagram. She applauded her amazing footwork, and wrote, “Catch the ball in the air and a great show of the shoe!” expressing her thoughts as a proud coach. However, other than golf, she is often seen playing tennis too, but she is getting more into balls than tennis.

Moreover, last year, the former world number one admitted that her 6-year-old doesn’t actually like playing tennis, even after being good at it, just like her mother.

Williams disappointed by her daughter’s diminished interest in tennis

Last year, in an interview with CBS News, the 43-year-old American tennis legend talked about how she is disappointed that her 6-year-old is not much into tennis. She stated, “That’s a little disappointing for me, but she’s actually really good at it.”

The coverage and earnings in track and field have sparked discussions worldwide, with athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Aaron Kingsley Brown, and others often highlighting the disparities in the sport. In February 2024, “Superman” Michael Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, expressed his concerns to Sportico, stating, “It’s been a shame for me to watch it over the last couple decades since I retired not be able to continue to provide the same amazing moments to people outside of just the Olympics.” In response to these issues, Johnson has teamed up with the Winners Alliance to launch a new league aimed at helping amplify track and field beyond the Olympics.

Additionally, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, announced an unprecedented $31 million investment in women’s track and field. Interestingly, these investments come as the 2024 Diamond League, an annual series of elite track and field competitions, begins. Let’s examine how the $31 million investment by Alexis Ohanian and Michael Johnson contrasts with the World Athletics’ 2024 Diamond League.

According to the Washington Post, Alexis Ohanian reached out to Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas last year to discuss his sudden interest in track and field. This conversation led to an announcement at the Business of Women’s Sports Summit in New York where Ohanian revealed plans for the 776 Invitational, a women-only track event with the largest prize pool on record.

Scheduled for late September, after the Paris Olympics, the event will offer a total purse of at least $500,000, with $60,000 going to the first-place winner, $25,000 for second place, and $10,000 for third place. Ohanian’s venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six, will host the event, and the location is yet to be finalized.

Similarly, track and field veteran Michael Johnson raised over $30 million to launch a new track league aimed at revolutionizing the sport. The league, set to debut next year, will provide a TV-friendly product promoting the sport’s biggest stars and attracting new audiences through unique storytelling. The Winners Alliance, the commercial arm of the Professional Tennis Players Association, has stepped in as the lead investor and will also serve as the league’s operating partner.

Taking to X on April 23, 2024, Johnson announced, “Working to change the game for athletes and fans! League details coming this June,” with the inaugural season scheduled to start in 2025. Johnson told Sportico in Feb, “The track has been such a big part of my life, and I’m in a position to help this sport get back to where it should be.” As we reflect on these investments, let’s compare them with this year’s Diamond League prize purse for athletes.

All 32 Diamond League Champions, comprising one man and one woman in each of the 16 disciplines, are crowned over two days of athletics action at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, receiving a prestigious “Diamond Trophy,” US $30,000 in prize money, and a wild card for the World Athletics Championships. The 2024 Diamond League offers prize money as follows: At series meetings, 1st place receives $10,000, 2nd place $6,000, 3rd place $3,500, 4th place $2,000, 5th place $1,250, 6th place $1,000, 7th place $750, and 8th place $500.

The finals offer: 1st place receives $30,000, 2nd place $12,000, 3rd place $7,000, 4th place $4,000, 5th place $2,500, 6th place $2,000, 7th place $1,500, and 8th place $1,000, with additional rewards for 9th–12th place finishers in distance races and ninth-lane runners in sprints. Meanwhile, the 776 Invitational offers $60,000 for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $10,000 for third place.

The $31 million investments by Alexis Ohanian and Michael Johnson in track thus underscore a significant challenge to the traditional model of track and field competitions, particularly when compared to the prize money offered by the Diamond League.

Danielle Collins wants to mingle with one of her biggest idols, Serena Williams. The American player, in the last season of her tennis career, is aiming to fulfill one of her desires with a former compatriot. Collins wants to go out for a karaoke night with Williams, a bucket-list wish she has been open about. She recently shared her desire for it once again in a post uploaded by the former number 1.

Serena Williams is an entrepreneur and has diversified her portfolio since she hung up the racquet. She created Wyn Beauty, a makeup brand for active individuals. ‘The Queen of the Court’ recently shared a post promoting her brand, where she is seen riding a bike, which matches her outfit. Williams donned a crop top, jacket, sweatpants, and sneakers to complete an all-white outfit.

Williams uploaded four pictures, which drew a lot of attention from her fans. While most of the comments were focused on her dashing looks, Collins only had one thing to ask. “You on your way to karaoke night or what? ”. Collins reminded Williams of their mutual love for karaoke as she asked about her plans later in the day.

The Miami Open champion is also a big fan of the activity and the 23-time grand slam champion. Since she lives in the same state as Williams, she shared her desire to meet the retired tennis great. She wants to enjoy a karaoke night with her idol, singing her go-to karaoke songs: Should’ve Been a Cowboy by Toby Keith and the classic Careless Whisper by George Michael. She had earlier expressed her wish to perform karaoke after she won her fourth title this month.

Danielle Collins ‘dying for a karaoke night’ with Serena Williams

Collins won the Miami Open and the Charleston Open back-to-back, making her final year a glorious one. As she wrapped up her first WTA 500 tournament on clay, Collins talked about how she hoped she could have a karaoke night with Williams.

“I’m still really hoping because I know like I love karaoke and I know Serena really loves karaoke and I’m just dying for a karaoke night at some point with Serena. I really want to make that happen in the future. You know, we both live in Florida so I’m really hoping we’re gonna get a karaoke night one of these days.”

Collins shared her desire to sing with Williams in what would be either a hilarious or glorious moment. The former number 1 is known for loving the occasional night out.

Richard Williams, who became the coach for his daughters during their childhood, is still keeping tabs on the Williams sisters’ endeavors both professional and personal. Now that the 23-time singles Grand Slam champion has put down her racquet, the 82-year-old is making sure that her other daughter, Venus, is diligently keeping up with her on-court sessions. Recently, he was there to witness Venus’ practice session, in which he was sighted sitting on a bench on the court while rooting for the elder Williams sister.

In her recent social media post, the 7-time singles Grand Slam champion shared a video clip of her father “still going strong” at the age of 82, as he paid a visit to the tennis court. Venus said, “Dad is still going strong. He doesn’t always go to the practices (I can’t always get him to come) but when he does it’s epic. This was the end of a two-minute rally.” Though he was there for a practice session after a long period, Richard made sure that he noticed every little detail of her daughter’s racket game, including her rally.

Not just her daughter, but Richard is also keeping tabs on his son, Chavoita LeSane, as they enjoyed some father-son time at his place not so long ago.

Richard Williams enjoyed a ‘watermelon’ with his son Chavoita

In an Instagram post, Chavoita LeSane previously uploaded a video clip of himself and Richard, and added the caption, “Love These Days W/My Dad.” While his father was seen carrying a watermelon, Chavoita was heard saying, “He is carrying a watermelon. You got it tight boy, you got the watermelon tight boy. Don’t drop that melon boy, don’t drop my melon. If you drop that melon, you’re gonna get some lashing, you got that melon tight?”

In another previous social media post, Chavoita uploaded a picture with his father and revealed that he drove to see him. He said, “My Dad drove by to see me today. Always awesome .” 

During the 94th Academy Awards, actor Will Smith walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock. The famously dubbed incident ‘The Slap Heard ‘Round the World,’ happened right before Smith was about to get his much anticipated Academy Award for his outstanding performance as “King Richard.” But, while giving his speech, he issued an apology in front of the whole crowd for the slap, apparently leaving Serena Williams embarrassed over a “crazy father” take.

Audiences were enthralled with the drama playing out on their TV screens as Smith’s apology echoed through the silent auditorium, highlighting similarities between him and King Richard. Take a look at how the 23-time Grand Slam champion reacted at that point.

In the same event, after the infamous incident, the American actor made a tearful apology to everyone present there and cracked a joke midway related to his character in King Richard. He stated, “I want to apologize to the academy; I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.” 

Following that, there was a moment when the camera focused on Serena Williams, as she looked embarrassed when Smith talked about ‘crazy’ King Richard. While she was quite amused by the comment, she covered her face with her hands and took it as a light-hearted joke.

Smith continued, “Art imitates life; I look like the crazy father, just like they say. I look like crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams, but love will make you do crazy things.” On the other hand, Serena and Venus Williams‘ half-brother LeSane disagreed with the American actor’s perception of his father’s temperament.

He stated, “My dad is not a violent man unless, you know, someone is coming at him in an aggressive manner. I don’t know if my dad holds grudges against anyone and my dad will always take the high road. That’s something I admire about my dad.”

Nonetheless, last year, Williams opened up about how the infamous Oscar slap somehow shadowed the greatness of the film depicting her father.

When Serena addressed the Will Smith Oscar incident 

Last year, the 43-year-old American tennis legend, in a conversation with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, shared her thoughts on the Oscar slap incident. She said, “I thought it was such an incredible film, and I feel that there was an incredible film after that with Questlove that kind of was overshadowed.”

She was referring to the incident where Smith slapped Rock in the face as the latter was on stage presenting Questlove with the Best Documentary Feature award. She went on to imply indirectly that Smith should be forgiven for acting out the way he did as “we’re all human” and prone to making “mistakes”. However, she was unhappy with the way things turned out in the end.