NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FEBRUARY 09: Serena Williams performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX … [+] Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Former world No. 1 tennis player Serena Williams made a surprise cameo in rapper Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night, showcasing her incredible dance moves in front of the sell-out crowd at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion who retired more than two years ago, appeared on the corner of the stage in the closing minutes of the halftime set when Lamar performed “Not Like Us” – a diss track about fellow rapper Drake that recently won five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Wearing a monochromatic blue mini skirt and shirt, along with a white undershirt, the 43-year-old Williams pulled off the ‘Crip Walk’ – a dance move created in the 1970s in Compton, featuring quick and intricate footwork.
Posing in her outfit, which also featured blue-and-white sneakers, Williams posted a video clip on X after her performance, saying “Let’s go Super Bowl halftime??! I died a little!”
The lyrics of the song “Not Like Us” feature a defense of Williams herself, with Lamar warning Drake to “not speak on Serena”. Drake has used Williams’ name in the lyrics of many of his songs. The Canadian rapper and Williams were rumored to have dated in the early 2010s.
Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players, has been married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017. The couple has two daughters.
Serena Stuns In Surprise Cameo
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FEBRUARY 09: Serena Williams performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX … [+] Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Even though Williams’ blink-and-miss cameo lasted only about five seconds, it was enough to catch people’s attention.
Fellow American and world No. 3 Coco Gauff praised Williams for “doing iconic things”.
The women’s tour, known as the WTA, also joined the applause, calling her “Our Super Bowl MVP”.
The Return Of The Crip Walk
The standout Super Bowl LIX halftime performance was not the first time Williams performed the crip walk, also known as the C-walk.
After winning the Olympic gold medal in women’s singles at the 2012 London Games, Williams crip walked in front of the crowd at the All England Club to celebrate her victory over Maria Sharapova. The venue is home to the Wimbledon Championships, the grass-court major.
“Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon,” Williams said with a smirk in a video posted on her X account. “Oh, I would have been fined!” she joked.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to lift Super Bowl LIX, ending the Chiefs’ quest for a historic three-peat.
