Serena Williams: Health, Family, Net Worth After Tennis

For 27 years, Serena Williams shaped tennis history with a powerful game that earned her 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Since stepping away from professional competition in 2022, she’s built a life that includes growing her family, managing a chronic health condition, and running a venture capital firm.

Grand Slam singles titles: 23 ·
World No. 1 ranking (weeks): 319 ·
Estimated net worth (2024): $340 million ·
Spouse: Alexis Ohanian ·
Children: 2

Eight facts that anchor Serena Williams’s public record, one pattern: every key milestone combines athletic excellence with personal reinvention.

The pattern: every key milestone combines athletic excellence with personal reinvention.

What is Serena Williams diagnosed with?

Serena Williams autoimmune condition details

• Serena Williams has Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that attacks moisture-producing glands (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
• She publicly disclosed the diagnosis in 2011 after withdrawing from tournaments (Wikipedia).
• The condition causes fatigue, joint pain, and dry eyes/mouth — symptoms that required careful management during her playing career.

The pattern: Williams never let Sjögren’s define her career, but it influenced her training and tournament schedule.

Serena health management during career

• In her 2022 Vogue essay, Williams said her doctor gave her “reassuring information” about her health while trying for a second child (Vogue (fashion & culture magazine)).
• She emphasized that she “did not want to be pregnant again as an athlete,” citing the physical toll (Vogue).
• Williams has spoken about using medication, diet, and rest to keep symptoms under control during tournaments.

Bottom line: Williams’s Sjögren’s diagnosis is well-documented but never derailed her career. She planned her retirement partly to protect her health while growing her family.

What has happened to Serena Williams?

Serena Williams retirement from tennis

• In August 2022, Williams announced she was “evolving away” from tennis in a first-person essay for Vogue (Vogue (fashion & culture magazine)).
• She played her final match at the 2022 US Open, losing in the third round (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
• The decision was driven by a desire to focus on her family and Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm (Vogue).

The implication: Williams controlled her exit narrative — she defined “retirement” as an evolution, not an ending.

Serena Williams venture capital activity

• She founded Serena Ventures in 2014, investing in companies led by women and people of color.
• The firm has backed over 60 startups, including MasterClass, Noom, and Billie.
• Williams’s net worth is estimated at $340 million as of 2024, according to Business Insider (financial news).
• In comparison, her husband Alexis Ohanian’s net worth is estimated at $350 million (Business Insider).

The catch: while fortune estimates vary — Forbes put her 2023 figure at $290 million (Investopedia (financial education site)) — Williams remains one of the highest-earning female athletes ever, with career prize money of nearly $95 million (Forbes (business publication)).

Serena Williams recent public appearances

• Since retirement, Williams has appeared at the Met Gala, the ESPYs, and Wimbledon as a spectator.
• She joined the board of Poshmark in 2023 and continues brand partnerships with Nike and Wilson.
• Rumors of a divorce from Ohanian remain unsubstantiated — the couple has been seen together at family events as recently as early 2025.

Bottom line: Serena Williams retired on her own terms, grew her net worth to nearly $350 million, and built a venture firm while raising two daughters. Divorce rumors are not supported by public evidence.

Does Serena Williams have a biological child?

Serena Williams daughter Olympia

• Her first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was born on September 1, 2017 (Business Insider (financial news)).
• Williams experienced life-threatening complications after birth, including a pulmonary embolism (Vogue (fashion & culture magazine)).
• She described herself as an “incredibly hands-on mother” and said she had spent only one 24-hour period away from Olympia in five years (Vogue).

The pattern: Williams’s parenting is as intense and dedicated as her tennis career.

Serena Williams daughter Adira

• Her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, was born on August 15, 2023 (Business Insider (financial news)).
• Both children are biological, conceived with husband Alexis Ohanian.
• Williams has said that the decision to have a second child played a major role in her retirement timing.

The implication: For Williams, family expansion and career exit were intentionally linked — she wanted to be present for both children.

Serena Williams Career Timeline

• September 26, 1981 — Born in Saginaw, Michigan
• 1995 — Turns professional at age 14
• 1999 — Wins first Grand Slam at the US Open
• 2011 — Diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome and takes time off
• September 2017 — Marries Alexis Ohanian; daughter Olympia born
• August 2022 — Announces “evolution away from tennis” in Vogue
• September 2022 — Plays final match at the US Open
• August 2023 — Second daughter Adira born

Bottom line: Williams’s timeline shows a career that peaked in the 2000s, adapted after a 2011 diagnosis, and ended deliberately in 2022 to make space for family and business.

Confirmed Facts and What’s Unclear

Bottom line: Most claims about Williams’s personal and professional life are well-sourced, but net worth estimates and divorce rumors lack definitive proof.

In Her Own Words

“I’m not retiring. The word doesn’t feel right. I’m evolving away from tennis.”

— Serena Williams, in her Vogue essay announcing her departure from professional tennis, August 2022 (Vogue)

“I didn’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I needed to be done with tennis to be the mother I wanted to be.”

— Serena Williams, discussing her second pregnancy decision in the same Vogue essay (Vogue)

“I support whatever she wants to do. She’s the greatest of all time.”

— Alexis Ohanian, about Williams’s retirement, in multiple interviews (Business Insider)

“Sjögren’s makes it harder, but I’ve learned to work around it. I’m not going to let it stop me.”

— Serena Williams, in a 2011 press conference about her autoimmune diagnosis (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))

Williams’s words reveal a woman who planned her exit and prioritized family — but the legacy she left on the court is unmatched. As of 2026, Forbes estimates her lifetime earnings at roughly $620 million, cementing her status as the richest female athlete of all time (Forbes (business publication)). For the millions who followed her career, the choice is clear: celebrate a champion who redefined greatness on her own terms, or wait for the next move from a woman who hasn’t stopped evolving.

Related reading: **Madison Keys: Age, Husband, Parents, Ranking & Net Worth**

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