Additional Coverage:
Serena Williams recently addressed her Super Bowl LIX halftime show appearance with Kendrick Lamar, clarifying that her performance was not meant as a slight against Drake. The tennis icon, newly named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025, joined Lamar onstage during his performance of “Not Like Us,” a song widely interpreted as a diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper.
Williams emphatically denied any intention of shading Drake, telling Time, “Absolutely not. I would never do that.”
She expressed respect for those who may have interpreted it that way, but reiterated her long-standing positive relationship with Drake.
Williams explained that she and Lamar had been hoping to collaborate for quite some time. When the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl arose, she saw it as a chance to celebrate Compton, California, the shared hometown of both herself and Lamar.
She reflected on her journey, stating, “Who would have thought that a tennis player from Compton would be regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time? It was just putting an exclamation on it.”
The performance, however, wasn’t without controversy. Williams’ crip walk drew 125 complaints to the Federal Communications Commission, with one accusing her of “promoting gang affiliation.”
This echoed similar criticism she received for performing the same dance at the 2012 Olympics after defeating Maria Sharapova. At the time, Williams simply described it as “just a dance.”
Following the Super Bowl performance, she posted on Instagram, jokingly referencing the earlier controversy: “I knew my winning dance after the Olympics would pay off one day. End of story.”
Williams also expressed her gratitude for being included in the Time100 list, sharing that she was “honored” by the recognition. This year’s list also features prominent figures such as Demi Moore, Snoop Dogg, Simone Biles, and Jon M. Chu.