The U.S. Open might’ve ditched the crowd this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Serena Williams couldn’t have asked for a more adorable cheering section.
The tennis pro inched one step closer to taking home her 24th Grand Slam title on Saturday after beating Sloane Stephens on the court in the third-round matchup between the two champions.
While the usually packed Arthur Ashe Stadium remained almost completely empty over the weekend, players’ friends and family were allowed to watch the matches. So, of course, Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their 3-year-old daughter, Olympia, had front row seats — and both wore masks as a safety precaution.
“I hope that she saw her mama fighting,” Williams told reporters after the match, before saying “Hey, baby,” to her daughter.
But she was quick to joke that perhaps Olympia was a little preoccupied as her mum battled her way to victory.
“I don’t think she was paying attention, between you and me,” Williams quipped. “She may have been playing with some princesses upstairs.”
Olympia did seem to keep her eyes locked on her mom, as the little girl was seen waving to Williams from her seat while mouthing, “Mama.”
The athlete excitedly waved back to her family as Ohanian readjusted his daughter’s mask to stay over her nose.
“Baby 👋 Mama,” the former Reddit co-founder, who wed Williams in 2017, captioned the all-too-adorable moment on Instagram.
Ohanian has been a mainstay at the tournament, making the most of his camera time by letting his clothing do the talking.
In recent days, he sported a mask that encouraged everyone watching to vote in the coming presidential election and also wore a T-shirt demanding justice for the police killing of Breonna Taylor.
“Hugging loved ones even harder today,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself holding his young daughter.
Olympia seems to be following in her fashionable parents footsteps, bringing her own sense of style to the court.
The toddler, who’s known to sport matching outfits with her mom, rocked a denim jacket and neon pink tutu with the tournament credentials around her neck.
Williams will next face off against Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the fourth round on Monday as she gets close to securing another title.
“I had to get my Serena-focus back,” Williams said after Saturday’s match. ”At the end of the day, I love what I do. I’ve always said you can’t do it forever ― even though I’ve kind of been doing it just over forever. One of these days it’s going to end.”