Serena Williams Says She Never Thought “Negative” About Drake

Serena Williams is pushing back on the narrative that her appearance at the 2025 Super Bowl with Kendrick Lamar had anything to do with Drake.

On Wednesday (April 16), Williams’ expansive feature interview apart of the TIME100 issue was released and captured the retired tennis champion reflecting on her eventful year in 2024. In addition to remarking on investing millions of dollars in multiple companies through her organization Serena Ventures, Williams also spoke about topics such as rising tennis stars such as Coco Gauff, her new role in become an owner of a WNBA team and of course, her experience appearing in Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime show performance at the top of 2025.

In her initial remarks explaining how she became a part of Lamar’s performance in the first place, she revealed that the Compton MC reached out to her just a few weeks before the big game to gauge her interest in being a part of his performance.

“We’ve been trying to do something together for ages,” Williams said.

According to the feature Lamar reportedly watched Williams crip walk after he win at the 2012 London Olympics and was interested in having her incorporate the dance into his performance as a nod respecting their shared West Coast heritage. However, Williams says she was skeptical, at first, when considering the idea.

“I’m like, ‘Wait, what, you’re asking me?’” she said. “I’m not Taylor Swift, let’s be honest. I would have a better chance to be quarterback at the Super Bowl than dance.”

Williams went on to reveal that she and her team did have conversations about the possible negative feedback that could follow her appearance, mainly due to the scrutiny she faced over a decade beforehand when she did the dance on a world-wide stage. In the end, though, Williams decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“Who would have thought that a tennis player from Compton would be regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time?” she said. “It was just putting an exclamation on it.”

Williams also said, “I don’t know if I regret it or not,” when asked of her decision to dance. “I don’t know the answer to that.”

However, she was discernibly confident in answering to the speculation about whether or not she had ulterior motives in appearing along side Lamar at the Super Bowl due to her past fling with Drake.

“Absolutely not, I would never do that,” she said. “And that was sad, that anyone would ever think that.”

Williams continued, making it clear that she harbors no ill will or resentment toward Drake in any capacity.

“I respect how they could,” she said. “Obviously I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not. I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.”

However, Williams’ recent monologue at the ESPY’s Awards in 2024 starkly contrasts the sentiments she expressed in the interview.

“If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” she said during the monologue before making a direct swipe at Drake. “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re going to Forrest Gump him. Seats taken.”

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