Drake Made a Loud Gesture Amid Alleged Feud With Serena Williams

It began with a photoshoot on a tennis court. One bold fan comment and one subtle but unmistakable gesture from Drake sent shockwaves through social media, reigniting one of pop culture's most fraught celebrity entanglements.

On November 18, 2025, rapper Drake uploaded a slick carousel of tennis-themed photos to Instagram, featuring himself and a female tennis player dressed in matching white.

The moody black-and-white shots mixed with vibrant poses quickly caught fans' attention, but it was the comment section that set off alarms. One fan declared, "Serena Williams upgrade 🔥🔥" — and Drake hit like, in full view of his 142 million followers.

Serena's Five-Second Crip Walk Left Some Furious

The Instagram activity comes just months after Serena Williams left audiences reeling with her controversial cameo during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance. The tennis icon appeared for fewer than five seconds — long enough to break into a Crip Walk seen by millions.

The fallout was swift. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received 125 complaints, including one that accused Serena of promoting gang affiliation. Online, rumors swirled: Was this a calculated jab at Drake? The tennis legend was quick to shut it down.

"Absolutely not. I would never do that. And that was sad, that anyone would ever think that," she said in an April 2025 interview. "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."

A Kiss in Cincinnati and a Love That Played Out Courtside

The drama between the rapper and the athlete dates back a decade. In August 2015, the internet exploded after TMZ published photos of the two in a heated makeout session at Sotto restaurant in downtown Cincinnati. The romantic display came just hours after Serena won a tournament — with Drake cheering her from the stands.

That night, the pair reportedly shared tequila shots in a private dining room, and by morning, their steamy date was making headlines and fueling fan intrigue around the world. At the time, Drake had already been spotted courtside at multiple Serena matches, including Wimbledon.

Speculation raged, but the relationship never quite solidified — and soon fizzled. But as this week's Instagram activity proves, the history is far from forgotten.

Kendrick's Grammy-Winning Diss Track Blows the Feud Wide Open

Serena's decision to dance at the Super Bowl didn't come out of nowhere. Kendrick, born and raised in Compton just like Serena, personally invited her to join the show.

"I'm like, 'Wait, what, you're asking me?'" Serena told Time magazine a few months ago. "I'm not Taylor Swift, let's be honest. I would have a better chance to be quarterback at the Super Bowl than dance."

Kendrick was asking her to perform to his blistering 2024 hit, "Not Like Us". The track, which won five Grammys, takes direct aim at Drake — even going so far as to accuse him of inappropriate conduct with minors.

In his own 2022 track, "Middle of the Ocean", Drake rapped, "Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie" — a dig at Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. In "Not Like Us", Kendrick fires back, "better not speak on Serena."

Drake has denied all allegations, and in April, he filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group for recording "Not Like Us." The label responded with a motion to dismiss.

Tequila Before Showtime and an Unexpected Emotional Toll

This wasn't the first time Serena danced to "Not Like Us". At the ESPYs, she joked, "If I've learned anything this year, it's that none of us, not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar. He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they're going to Forrest Gump him. Seats taken."

But the Super Bowl was different. Before stepping out onto the field at Caesars Superdome, Serena downed two shots of tequila to steady her nerves. Her team stopped her from taking a third.

Despite the nerves, she delivered her five-second moment with trademark confidence. The crowd buzzed, "Wait a second, is that Serena Williams?!"

In her interview with Time, Serena admitted, "I don't know if I regret it or not. I don't know the answer to that."

From Tennis Trophies to Tomatoes: Serena's Quiet New Life

These days, Serena has stepped back from the court. She announced nearly three years ago that she was evolving away from tennis, and now devotes her time to raising two daughters with her husband.

On their five-acre South Florida farm, the couple grows berries, kale, and tomatoes, and raises chickens.

But her media presence is far from quiet. She's part of the Toronto Tempo WNBA ownership group, and she produced the Netflix adaptation of "Carrie Soto Is Back."

Meanwhile, Drake commands one of the largest social media platforms on the planet, which makes his liked comment all the more provocative.

Whether it was petty or pointed, Drake's move didn't go unnoticed. And it leaves fans wondering: is this the end of a saga... or just the next serve?