Britt Jones
Celebrity couples are out at full force during the Olympics, and it can be hard to keep track of who is married to who.
But you’ll never guess who Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, was mistaken for during an awkward blunder.
The couple attended the Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, 26 July, along with daughters, Olympia, 6 and Adira, 10 months.
It was when the famed pair were making their entrance that Ohanian was mistakenly identified on a Eurosport broadcast by the broadcaster, Laura Woods.
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In the clip, Ohanian was walking behind his wife with a large umbrella to shield her from the rainy weather.
Can you see where this is going?
The co-founder of Reddit and the tennis star have been married since 2017 and found the blunder pretty funny.
The mistake came when Woods saw him with the brolly and decided that he must be her designated holder, stating: “She [Serena] looks absolutely incredible. She’s got someone just behind us holding an umbrella.
“Those are the levels you aspire to. To have an actual umbrella holder behind you.”
Well, not quite.
He was actually just being chivalrous to his wife.
Anyway, Ohanian found the whole thing hilarious, writing on Instagram later that day: “Olympia. Serena. Serena’s Personal Umbrella Holder.
“Let the games begin! I’ll be watching a lot of T&F [track and field events] to soak up @athlos inspiration.”
He also went on to post another image of how he is also Olympia’s personal umbrella holder, writing beside an image of him carrying the brolly with her underneath: “I’m also Olympia’s personal umbrella holder. Sidebar: Y'all set the bar too low for me celeb dads get flowers just for *acknowledging* they have kids.”
People in the comments found his post hilarious, commenting about his family-orientated approach.
One wrote: “Real men look after their wives and children!”
Another said: “A gentleman, husband and good father!”
On said: “Lovely photo. Best to you and our amazing family.”
Someone else broke it down: “Alexis, you are The Truth! Secure, loving, generous. You cherish your wife and family at every turn. Daddy making pancakes, braiding your daughter’s hair…Your stellar own accomplishments have never overshadowed your reverence for Serena as a force in her own right. This is LOVE. Bravo to you and your beautiful family!”
Apart from the mistaken identity, Williams was excited to be there and to see what the athletes had in store for their competition.
She told NBC before the opening ceremony: “It’s fun! I mean, the Olympics in Paris is really, really incredible.
“I don’t know if it’s fun or I’m a little jealous. I did do the London/Wimbledon combination but I was a little jealous of here!”
Aside from her jealousy, she was eagerly waiting to cheer on the first-time Olympian Coco Gauff on the court.
“Isn’t that great? I’m so excited to see her tonight,” Williams said.
“I’m just so happy for her. I love it.”
Williams, her children and her husband - aka umbrella holder - seemed to have a good time at the event.