Retired tennis superstar Serena Williams recently announced before attending the Met Gala that she and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, are expecting their second child.
For those that like wagering novelty odds like entertainment betting, the next question is what they will name the baby. Online bookmakers have already begun offering Serena Williams prop bets on the baby’s name.
Williams’ 23-time Grand Slam wins are second only to Australian legend Margaret Court’s 24 titles. She last stepped on the court at the 2022 US Open, only to lose in the third round after defeating the tournament’s number-two seed, Anett Kontaveit.
The 41-year-old star announced last year that she planned to step away from tennis to focus on growing her family.
Click here to dive into our BetUs Review
Novelty Bets
Novelty prop bets don’t focus on the result of sporting events but on the probability of a specific event occurring. Bettors like to wager on these unique and fun markets, which require less research than sports betting, but also involve a lot of luck. For example, sportsbooks posted odds on Serena Williams prop bets to wager on the name of her first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017.
Novelty bets are primarily based on current events, making them more attractive to a wider variety of people than just sports bettors. The most common markets for novelty bets involve elections, TV talent shows, awards shows, pop culture events, and the gender of celebrity or royal family babies. In addition, bettors can sometimes wager on baby weight matchups, which pit one celebrity’s baby against another, with the bigger baby winning the bet.
In 2017, bookmakers took millions in wagers on the name of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s third child, Louis, with James as the early betting favorite. Right now, bettors will find Serena Williams baby odds for the first letter of the first name at many online bookmakers. There are also odds on the baby’s gender, weight, and whether she’ll have twins or triplets.
What Will the Name Be?
During the first Serena Williams pregnancy, the star was preparing for the 2017 Australian Open. She later said in a TED Talk interview that she learned she was pregnant just two days before the tournament started.
Williams went on to capture her record seventh Aussie title in that tournament. She reminded everyone that her daughter’s initials are AO, as in the Australian Open title she won while carrying her.
This is likely a coincidence since the child was named after her father. However, Williams has recently discussed the possibility of naming her second child after one of her favorite Disney characters. She posted a video on TikTok where she mentioned Scar, Gaston, Ursula, Maleficent, and Lady Gothel as possible names depending on the baby’s gender.
Expecting a Name with Meaning for Serena
Williams often tells her followers how much she’s a fan of Disney and frequently expresses her love for the company on her social media accounts. Whether she was joking or not about naming her next child after a Disney character is yet to be seen. However, it’s more likely that the winner among Serena Williams prop bets will be someone dear to her heart, like a family member or close friend.
Early speculation among those who bet on entertainment is that the baby could be named after Williams’ mother, Serreana, or her sister, Venus, if it’s a girl. Her father, Richard, also played an essential role in propelling her to superstardom and could be one of her top choices if it’s a boy. She could also choose a meaningful name from her African heritage or one of the many close personal friends she made during her tennis career.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.