Plenty of women these days opt not to have their fathers walk them down the aisle. Some do so because they want to defy norms, while some lost their dads before wedding bells rang. Others are estranged from their fathers, so it doesn't feel right to give them such a large role.
Serena Williams walked down the aisle on her own the day she and Alexis Ohanian tied the knot, but not for any of the reasons mentioned.
Her father, Richard, was all ready to accompany his daughter on the big day, but when the time came, he had a change of heart.
“He was in New Orleans, he had a suit, and I know he was really excited,” Serena said in Being Serena, according to Vogue.
“But then he wrote me and said: Serena, I don’t want you to be mad at me, but I just can’t walk you down the aisle. I’m not myself anymore. I’m just too nervous.”
Much like Meghan Markle, the celebrated tennis player had her father's health and best interests in mind when she replied to his message.
In response, the mum-of-one wrote, “Daddy, it’s okay, if you don’t want to come to the wedding at all, that’s okay too. I’m not going to be upset with you about it, so I don’t want you to be upset about it.”
It would be quite understandable to be irked by such a last-minute change, but Serena explained her reasoning in the HBO documentary:
“Maybe a lot of daughters wouldn’t react the same way, but I know the struggles he’s had these last few years.
"His health is better now, but I know he still doesn’t feel like himself, doesn’t feel like he’s perfect. And if he doesn’t want to be up there in front of a lot of people, I completely understand."
Richard suffered a stroke in 2016, just before his daughters won Wimbledon. The 76-year-old tennis coach has been in the spotlight ever since the Williams sisters starting dominating the sport.
The 36-year-old said that people didn't 'get' him in the past, but that she doesn't care. For them, family is everything.
"Our family knows what we have," the Olympic athlete reflected, "We just want each other to be happy. That’s what matters. I don’t think anything could ever change that.”
We love that sentiment. Serena sets an excellent example for her daughter, Alexis Ohanian Jr, who was there on her mum's wedding day, witnessing what it means to have both strength and compassion.
