Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian makes a proposal to Rihanna after track and field athlete's Athlos plea

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian has been an avid supporter of women's sports and he recently expressed his urge to board global artist Rihanna at his track and field event, Athlos, as a special guest performer. This came after the young athlete Grace Start spoke about wanting the singer perform at an event.

Athlos is an innovative women's-only track and field event founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The inaugural edition of the event took place on September 26, 2024, at New York City's Icahn Stadium, featuring 36 elite female athletes competing in six events, namely, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 100m hurdles.

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian's creativity peaked when he found the perfect way to invite renowned star Rihanna to his event Athlos. The Reddit co-owner recently posted a video from the Millrose Games on his Instagram where young American athlete Grace Start can be seen urging him to arrange a Rihanna concert at the next version of Athlos.

"What's one artist that you would love to see perform at Athlos?" the reporter asked Stark.

She replied:

"Rihanna."

The reporter then extended a plea to Ohanian, stating:

"Alexis, make it happen."

Alexis was quick enough to extend the request to Rihanna directly. His caption said:

"🏃‍♀️ @athlos — The fastest women on the planet. The biggest purse prize in history. And an iconic musical guest TBD....OK, @badgalriri — ATHLOS 2025 — what do you say?! 👀"

Alexis Ohanian has been a firm supporter of Rihanna and her business stints. The tech entrepreneur always stays active on X to frequently back the singer's promotional moves during events and performances.

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian backed her amid controversy regarding Superbowl cameo with Kendrick Lamar

Serena Williams at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show - Source: Getty

Serena Williams' surprise appearance at the Super Bowl music event astonished fans to a great extent. However, it also invited criticism due to the 43-year-old doing the crip walk, a dance move associated with gang violence.

The 43-year-old previously performed the move back at the London Olympics, the tennis tournament of which, took place at Wimbledon. However, this time, her moves turned out to be gracious and were appreciated by many. Alexis Ohanian didn't back down from taking a stand for his wife.

"Some of y'all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows.... This is bigger than the music," he wrote, comparing the two instances on X.

The controversy came to an end after Serena received firm backing from several other members of the tennis community.