Serena Williams Screams with Joy over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Blockbuster Miami Heat Move
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a close friend as well as business partner of Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, Serena Williams (Image via NBA, SheKnows)
Serena Williams is gearing up for her return to Wimbledon. She was handed a wildcard for not just doubles but also singles, with her first-round match set to be her first singles match since the Ajla Tomljanovic clash in the third round of the 2022 US Open.
While the tennis world is waiting to see Williams play singles once again, she was delighted with the fact that NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo will now be playing for the Miami Heat. In a blockbuster move on the eve of the 2026 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks traded the Nigerian-Greek to the Miami Heat.
Bucks also traded Bobby Portis to the Heat. In exchange, they got Kel’el Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis, as well as three first-round picks.
Now, back to Williams, when she, during a practice session at Wimbledon, learned for the first time that the Heat acquired the two-time MVP and 10-time All-Star Antetokounmpo, she was extremely thrilled.
Upon being informed about the move, Williams asked, “No way! Yes! Are you serious?” before adding, “Oh, that’s so good! Finally I can go to the games again. Oh, that’s huge! Oh, that just made my day.” Wimbledon shared the reaction of the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion on Instagram.
Check out the video here:
Antetokounmpo is a close friend and business partner of Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder. Ohanian and the 31-year-old NBA star have joined forces on three investments: Alt, Chelsea FC Women, and Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC).
Williams has always been a fan of the Miami Heat and also attended their matches, including in 2014 for the final between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. She also made a surprise appearance in their locker room after a game in 2023.
Serena Williams’ former coach, Sebastien Durand, on her singles return
Sebastien Durand, the former coach of Serena Williams, worked with her between 2012 and 2014, during the time when she was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou. Durand, during his interview with Eurosport France, talked about the challenges the 44-year-old could face while playing singles.
Theoretically, everything is against her: her age, her long absence, her lack of match fitness, her complete lack of singles preparation. But it’s Serena… Having seen her overcome so many difficult situations, I know that nothing is impossible for her. I don’t know how she’s prepared. But knowing her, if she’s competing, it’s because she’s ready. I think her return is well thought out. With age, like everyone else, she has certainly lost some muscle mass, reactivity, and speed.
Williams has already played doubles. She made her return after four years at the Queen’s Club Championships and played alongside Victoria Mboko, winning their first match. But the Canadian ace suffered an injury during her singles match, as a consequence of which they had to withdraw from their second round.
Serena is a beast because of her commitment, her power, her willpower, her motivation… My gut feeling is that she can go very far… just as easily as she can lose in the first round. With her, anything is possible.
Sebastien Durand added
After the Queen’s event, Williams competed at the Berlin Open alongside Karolina Muchova, but they suffered an opening-round exit. Williams and sister Venus Williams, the winners of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, received the Wimbledon wild card for doubles. Wimbledon later announced that the last wild card was given to Williams.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion last won a Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open by defeating Venus. The last time she played a Major singles final was at the 2019 US Open, losing the match to Bianca Andreescu.
Gouri Das
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