"Rafael Nadal, you're a special guy" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian honors Spaniard's retirement by auctioning his rare Net Pro Rookie Card

Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian recently announced the auction of an invaluable item for Rafael Nadal fans. The Reddit co-founder revealed that he would be selling Nadal's Net Pro Rookie Cards, in honour of the tennis legend’s retirement.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian first met in 2015 in Rome. They quickly became inseparable, with Ohanian becoming a regular presence at Williams's matches. The couple married in 2017 and have two daughters together.

While Alexis Ohanian wasn't a tennis fan before meeting Williams, he quickly became interested in the sport. Recently, the 41-year-old announced that he would auction one of Rafael Nadal's Net Pro Rookie Cards to honor the tennis legend's retirement.

“So in honour of the retirement of the great Rafael Nadal, I'm auctioning off one of my gem mint 10 out of 100 glossy Net Pro Rookie Cards of his. It's a beautiful card, very hard to get in a 10, these things were barely even put in packs and they were just shoved together with some plastic and some cardboard."

"So, obviously, broke a lot of these in order to chase all my Serenas and I got a few PSA 10 Nadals and this is one of them. So some lucky person is going to win the auction on alt, good luck. Congrats on an amazing career Rafa, you're a special guy, and just thanks for everything you did for the sport of tennis,” he said in an Instagram video.

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Serena Williams pens heartfelt note for Rafael Nadal’s retirement

Serena Williams on Rafael Nadal's retirement (Image Source: Getty)

Meanwhile, Serena Williams also honoured Rafael Nadal’s legacy as he called time on his career. During his years on the court, Nadal stormed to 22 Grand Slam singles titles and spent 209 weeks as the World No.1.

Upon the Spaniard's retirement, Williams penned a heartfelt note on social media, writing:

“Rafael Nadal, congratulations on a career that most won't dare to dream of. I feel so fortunate to have been able to play when you were playing and being Great. You inspired me to be better, to play harder, for fight, to never give up, and to win more. No excuses just play the sport. Your legacy will never die. Wow, to see your career from the beginning to today was an honor Champ! Long live Rafa!”

Serena Williams called time on her tennis career in 2022, having spent more than two decades on the court. During her time competing, Williams established herself as one of the sport's most dominant players, winning a combined total of 39 Grand Slam titles.