Serena Williams just made her Super Bowl 2025 debut—as a surprise halftime show performer, Wearing Her Tennis Style Staples…

The tennis legend briefly joined Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar toward the end of his historic 15-minute set, appearing onstage in a cropped cobalt blue jacket, white crop top, and pleated skirt—all staples of her history-making tennis fashion as a Grand Slam champion.

As in her tennis days, the pieces were custom-made by Nike, specifically from its Nike 24.7 collection. A stack of diamond necklaces, including a heart shaped pendant, glistened under the lights of the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans above her white top. And while the last time she appeared in a major stadium came with tricked-out Nike sneakers, she opted for classic blue high-tops this time around.

Williams’s cameo in the political performance lasted for the blink of an eye, but it made an impact. She crip walked to “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s Grammy-winning diss track about the rapper Drake. Fans online speculated Williams had reason to take Lamar’s side in their ongoing beef. She and Drake were rumored to have dated in the mid-2000s; late last year, Page Six reported his song “Too Good” was written about her. Lamar then referenced the song in “Not Like Us,” rapping, “From Alondra down to Central—better not speak on Serena.”

The tennis star had already made her appreciation for the track clear at another event. Hosting the ESPY Awards in 2024, she danced to “Not Like Us” several times during her opening monologue.

Of course, the duo has a connection beyond any mutual dislike of Drake. Both are proud Los Angeles natives from the neighborhood of Compton.