Serena Williams says being 'ghosted' by first boyfriend fueled her passion to become a champion

MIAMI, FLORIDA: In her new ESPN docuseries, 'In The Arena: Serena Williams', the retired tennis legend shared that a bad dating experience in her early 20s helped her become a better athlete. 

The retired tennis legend recounted how her then-boyfriend, who she spent time with in Washington, DC, after that year's US Open final, suddenly started "ghosting" her.  

Serena Williams opens up about how 'ghosting' fueled her to achieve more on the court

In the docuseries, Serena Williams explained that she channeled the "ghosting" experience into driving herself harder on the court.

Referring to the mystery man as "so and so," she said, "It was my first relationship, and I was in my 20s, so, you know, whatever… and then he ghosts me. I got ghosted. And it wasn't even that serious, but I made it seem way more important than it was."

"So, when he ghosted me, I used it as an opportunity to think, 'He's going to regret this for the rest of his life.' That was just the motivation I needed, the excuse to push myself even harder," expressed the tennis champ. 

Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam titles, admitted that she could be "vengeful." She explained, "I'm going to make sure that this person never forgets me. I'm going to make sure they see me everywhere for the rest of their life."

Giving a shoutout to her ex, the 42-year-old added, "I'm grateful for it, so thank you." 

Who is Serena Williams' husband?

Serena Williams fell in love with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in 2015.

Ohanian and Williams met by chance while staying at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome. The tennis champ was attending the Italian Open, while Ohanian was in town for the Festival of Media Global conference.

Recounting the incident to Vanity Fair in 2017, Williams said, "This big guy comes and he just plops down at the table next to us, and I’m like, 'Huh! All these tables and he’s sitting here?'"

Williams and her group attempted to persuade him to relocate to another vacant table, even humorously suggesting there was a rat near him.

Just over a year after their chance encounter, Ohanian proposed to Williams in December 2016 at the same hotel. They tied the knot in New Orleans in November 2017. 

The couple share two daughters, 6-year-old Alexis Olympia and Adira River, who will celebrate her first birthday in August of this year.