Shohei Ohtani has a knack for stealing the spotlight—whether it’s for his jaw-dropping contract, monster home runs, or sheer dominance on the field. But this time, the Dodgers’ superstar is making waves for an entirely different reason. And here’s the twist—it involves the world of tennis, too! Yes, you heard that right. Somehow, Ohtani’s latest buzz has roped in none other than Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams’ husband, and rising WTA sensation Coco Gauff. So, what’s the connection?
Let’s start with Gauff. The 20-year-old American sensation is currently struggling to get her momentum back on the tennis courts. Having been ousted in the opener matches of her Qatar and Dubai Open, the star player has a lot to catch up on. However, it seems that Gauff is refusing to be bogged down by her failures and has traded her rackets for an intriguing commercial.
Yes, you read that right. The 2023 US Open Winner appeared in a commercial by the $6.5 Billion Brand New Balance for its campaign “We Got Now”—a celebration of next-gen athletes reshaping sports. Interestingly, the commercial also features Ohtani as one of the prominent faces thereby attracting the attention of tennis and baseball enthusiasts from across the globe. But that is not all when it comes to Ohtani’s latest stints.
Ohtani played a sensational knock against his ex-team Los Angeles Angels. He fired a remarkable home run on his first at-bat against the ex-team, mesmerizing fans and followers from across the globe. Notably, one of the many mesmerized fans was none other than Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian.
— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) March 1, 2025
The Reddit co-founder, who has often shown tremendous interest in the sport, could not resist sharing a take on Ohtani’s hit. Taking to X, he re-shared a post highlighting the Dodgers’ star’s hit and wrote, “.” For the unversed, Ohanian has often shared his interest in the game and has shared his stance on the latest developments. He also welcomed the Automated Ball-Strike System and commented, “Finally! Give the robots this job. Let umps be there to jaw with players and call home plate situations — not balls and strikes.” Coming back to Ohtani, this is not yet all about the star player.
Ohtani is also capturing attention for spending some adorable moments with his dog, Decoy Ohtani. Taking to his Instagram account, the Dodgers’ star shared a series of videos and photos of his dog playing with its new toys – a large number of balls – courtesy of the Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts. Point to note – Ohtani’s dog has continued to steal the spotlight ever since it was introduced to the world in 2023. But what is more interesting is the fact that Roberts’ move is seen as a hilarious revenge for him receiving two toy Porsche cars as part of a prank. Reportedly, Roberts decided to avenge and filled Ohtani’s car with ball pit-like balls that busted out of the car when Ohtani opened the driver’s door of his own Porsche.
Meanwhile, these instances highlight that Ohtani is trying to keep things light at the beginning of the season. However, despite the incredible skills that Ohtani is depicting, some analysts of the sport believe that he might just have to work a little bit more to outshine his counterparts.
Shohei Ohtani receives some interesting advice from MLB Insider
Shohei Ohtani has crafted a place for himself as one of the top names in baseball. Proving his mettle was his remarkable home run against the Angels which already has got fans swooning over his skills. But despite the relentless efforts he has shown over the years, MLB analyst Blake Williams believes that he still has to work more to outshine the likes of Freddie Freeman.
Speaking about Ohtani, Williams said, “I think Ohtani has to work more. Before he broke out, he was like a pitcher first. A lot of people considered that he was only going to be a pitcher… the hitting came along later…” Continuing further, he highlighted that he is yet to reach Freeman’s level.
“He doesn’t have that same natural hitting ability that Freddie Freeman has,” Williams added. Now, as the season evolves, it will be interesting to see if Ohtani can keep his skills in check and deliver some more interesting knocks thereby outshining his counterparts. Will these light-hearted moments help him in his endeavors? Well, that remains to be seen.
The post Shohei Ohtani Special: $6.5 Billion Coco Gauff Collab, Serena’s Husband’s a Fan & Decoy in the Middle of Dave Roberts’ Payback appeared first on EssentiallySports.