Serena Williams claims cameo in Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl LIX show was not intended to shade ex-boyfriend Drake

The tennis legend finally spills the tea on how her iconic dance came together for Lamar's halftime performance.

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Serena Williams during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Ceasars Superdome. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Serena Williams got thrust back into the spotlight after she made a surprise appearance in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance.

The tennis legend, 43, famously did a c-walk dance during Lamar's performance of "Not Like Us," his Grammy-winning track that became a global phenomenon due to it being a diss on Canadian rap icon, Drake. The moment went viral on social media and continues to be a talking point to this day.

Williams, who briefly dated Drake in 2011, years before marrying Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, opened up about the cameo during an interview with TIME. Despite many fans assuming it was done as a shot at her ex, the multi-time Grand Slam winner shot the rumor down.

"Absolutely not," she claimed when asked about it being a jab at Drake. "I respect how they could. 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," she later added.

Williams can finally put that fake news to bed and focus on why she was interviewed by TIME in the first place. The tennis legend was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

"TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world is out. I'm honored to be a part of this group," she wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, April 16.