Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, shared that he has been feeling highly motivated to take women’s sports to new heights with Athlos in 2026. Ohanian continues to be one of the leading figures in the business world through his investment goals and his support for early-stage startups and women’s sports.
The 42-year-old inaugurated Athlos in 2024, shortly after the Paris Olympics, with a large prize-money pool and several other developments that track and field had not seen before.
Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Reveals His Future Goals With Athlos
Ohanian has defied belief in the entrepreneurial world, emerging on the global stage after co-founding Reddit in 2005. He founded his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six, to back mission-driven start-ups and also gave birth to the pathbreaking female-only track and field event, Athlos. His track record easily drew athletes to trust him and engaged a massive amount of media, budding athletes, and fans.
He set the prize money at six times that of the Diamond League and provided an exclusive platform for women athletes, who are often overshadowed in the male-dominated sporting domain, to command the spotlight. In the first edition in 2024, top-tier women participated across six races from 100m to 1500m, taking home approximately $663,000.
The second edition was also a hit, with new additions like Tara Davis-Woodhall showcasing the long jump in front of a packed Times Square. Headed to the third edition in 2026, Williams’ husband expressed that he looks forward to making the league a major success. He said:
“I cannot stress enough how motivated I am to make this one of the biggest successes of my career. Thank YOU for giving me this opportunity.”
Brittany Brown became a double sprint champion by winning both the 100m and 200m events.
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Gabby Thomas, the co-owner and advisor of Athlos, has often lauded Ohanian for bringing about a significant evolution in women’s sports. She also participated in the inaugural edition, finishing second in the 200 m.
In November this year, new entrant and one of the sport’s most dominant figures, Sha’Carri Richardson, sat down with the Williams sisters and shared that Ohanian had given female athletes a voice, adding that they cannot be grateful enough for the opportunity.
“He gave us a voice, you know, in a lot of different ways, like creating the meet, like just creating different opportunities to have we can show up, and I think that was an opportunity that definitely I was grateful to be a part of,” she said.
“I know the other ladies as well, but also it’s a stepping stone, truly, for athletes to see as possible and for other thing,” the American added.
The 2026 Athlos is expected to begin soon after the conclusion of the World Athletics Championships.
