Serena Williams Breaks Silence on Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Cameo: “It Wasn’t About Drake”

When Serena Williams made a surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s electrifying Super Bowl halftime show this past February, fans didn’t just see a tennis icon dancing—they saw drama.

Social media lit up with speculation, especially given Williams’ past relationship with rapper Drake, a known rival of Kendrick. But now, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is setting the record straight.

In her new TIME Magazine cover story, Serena Williams addressed the moment that stirred the internet. Despite the rumors swirling that her cameo was a subtle jab at Drake, Williams says the truth is far more straightforward—and far less shady.

“I would never do that,” she said in the interview. “That was sad, that anyone would ever think that. 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.”

Williams explained that her moment on stage wasn’t about beef—it was about Compton pride and a long-overdue creative link-up with Kendrick Lamar, whom she says she’d been trying to collaborate with “for ages.” So when the GNX rapper asked her to be part of his Super Bowl set, she was both flattered and surprised.

“I’m not Taylor Swift, let’s be honest,” she joked. “I would have a better chance to be quarterback at the Super Bowl than dance.”

Still, the performance made perfect sense—not just because of their shared Compton roots, but because Kendrick even name-drops Williams in his viral Drake diss track, “Not Like Us”: “From Alondra down to Central, n**ga better not speak on Serena.”

For the record, Williams insists there were no hidden messages in her moves. She even admitted to taking a couple of tequila shots backstage to calm her nerves before the show. “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.”

While Serena claims her conscience is clear, Kendrick’s own Super Bowl performance had no shortage of subtle shots and layered references, including a not-so-subtle call-out to Drake himself. But Serena? She’s just celebrating her legacy—and her hometown—with no strings attached.