Serena Williams’ old relationship with Drake has been thrust into the spotlight following her Super Bowl appearance.

Serena Williams made a surprise appearance as Kendrick Lamar performed Not Like Us (Image: Getty)

Serena Williams made an unlikely appearance at the Super Bowl on Sunday night, dancing during Kendrick Lamar’s half-time show.

There was something of a hidden meaning behind her cameo. Williams famously dated Drake a decade ago and coincidentally popped up during Not Like Us, Lamar’s Drake diss track.

The retired tennis star got the last laugh – she’s happily married with two children, and her shock appearance was one of the most talked-about elements of the half-time show. But Drake fired shots at Williams and his exes hours before her Super Bowl surprise.

After spending decades dominating the tennis tour, Williams made headlines at another sporting event over the weekend. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was a surprise guest during Lamar’s half-time performance and was seen crip walk dancing during Not Like Us.

Williams’ cameo was significant for multiple reasons. She famously crip walked on Wimbledon’s Centre Court after winning Olympic gold in 2012 and was criticised.

But fans also noticed that her moment came during Not Like Us, a diss track Lamar released during his famous feud with Drake last year.

Williams reportedly dated Drake in 2011 and 2015, and the Canadian artist has made several references to their history in his own songs. In the 2022-released Middle of the Ocean, he rapped: “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie.”

Drake took aim at his exes days before Serena Williams’ Super Bowl cameo (Image: Getty)

Lamar even hit back in Not Like Us, which includes the lyric: “Better not speak on Serena.” Williams has stayed silent on Drake’s references throughout the years but got her payback in style at the Super Bowl.

She wasn’t the only one of Drake’s exes on the stage – SZA also performed alongside Lamar.

And just a few nights earlier, Drake took shots at his former girlfriends while performing in Australia.

“You ever, in your life, gave your time, gave your energy, gave your money, gave your heart, gave your soul, gave everything that you ever had to somebody and they f***ing played with you and wasted your time, wasted your energy, wasted your money?” he asked.

“I want you to turn up to this song. This is for all of your exes that ever thought that they can play you in their f***ing life. If you’re doing better than your ex, I wanna see you turn the f*** up.”

After his impassioned rant, Drake launched into the song You Broke My Heart.

Williams has been staying in her own lane. The former world No. 1 has been married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017 and they have two children together.

And Ohanian was in full support of Williams’ half-time show cameo. He watched on alongside recent Grammy winner Doechii and tweeted: “Pretty fantastic halftime show.”