Inside the Strange Feud Behind Serena Williams’ Super Bowl Appearance

Best of Kendrick’s Superbowl LIX HT show | 02:40

There was a long list of predicted guest stars during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance. And Serena Williams wasn’t one of them.

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But the bizarre backstory behind the move has been explained, and it adds to Lamar’s ongoing rap feud with Drake.

Lamar took the feud to new heights at Super Bowl LIX by performing Not Like Us, a song where he alleges his Canadian rival “likes em young” (among other phrases).

But during his set Williams could be seen doing the Crip Walk dance, which she famously performed after winning gold at the 2012 Olympics.

Her appearance otherwise seemed unconnected – until tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg went into the backstory.

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In his Bounces newsletter, he explained Drake was clearly smitten with Williams and followed her intensely during the 2015 tennis season.

“He trailed Serena around the Wimbledon facilities like a puppy, following her wherever he could,” Rothenberg wrote.

“It wasn’t shocking that Drake was also there when Serena played in Toronto a month later, since that’s his hometown. But I was genuinely stunned to see Drake trailing Serena to her next tournament after that, too, schlepping to the far-flung Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio to remain by her side.”

He added: “Drake was clearly very, very into Serena, but it was never clear how serious Serena was about him.”

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It’s believed the pair were dating at one point, but it didn’t matter long-term as Williams had a few months earlier met future husband Alexis Ohanian, and Ohanian was soon the frequent extra in her entourage over Drake.

He rapped about the couple in his 2022 song ‘Middle of the Ocean’, saying: ”Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don’t got a problem but / No boo, it is like you coming for sushi”.

Ohanian later responded to the comment on social media, tweeting: “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do, including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter.”

Williams replied happily with heart face emojis to her husband’s post and clearly has not forgotten Drake’s insults, leading to her Super Bowl appearance supporting Lamar – Drake’s greatest rival.