Serena Williams doesn’t just play the game—she changes it. With 23 Grand Slam singles titles, she’s dominated tennis while redefining power, confidence, and style. And when she wins, she celebrates her way.
Take the 2012 London Olympics: after crushing Maria Sharapova in the final, Serena marked the moment with a Crip Walk on the All England Club’s hallowed grass. It wasn’t just joy—it was a statement. A reminder that she moves through the world on her own terms.
Yet even with a legacy like hers, the world still finds ways to overlook her impact—distracted by rap feuds, past relationships, and everything but the history she’s made.
The Serena Factor
The Super Bowl gave the world plenty to talk about—Kendrick Lamar leading the halftime show, and… $1,300 flare jeans? And if we’re talking Kendrick, we can’t ignore his feud with Drake. If we’re talking Drake, we can’t forget his past with Serena.
Drake and Serena supposedly dated years ago. He name-dropped her in Worst Behavior (2013) and, nearly a decade later, took a shot at her husband, Alexis Ohanian, calling him a “groupie” in Middle of the Ocean (2022). Serena’s response? She’s never been one for petty drama.
Now Kendrick Lamar has stepped in with Not Like Us, calling out Drake for even speaking on Serena in the first place. Even in one of rap’s biggest battles, her name holds weight.
And yet, instead of recognizing Serena for her influence, people still find a way to spin the moment into something else. Enter Stephen A. Smith, who used First Take to weigh in on Serena’s Super Bowl appearance—not for her impact, but for an imaginary slight against her husband. “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass,” Smith said. “’Cause clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye.”
Why ‘d i s s e d’ Matters
Serena Williams is one of the most dominant athletes in history, yet the conversation surrounding her too often veers into pettiness, distractions, or attempts to diminish her legacy. We see it in rap beefs—her name is used as a punchline, in sports commentary that reduces her presence to speculation about her marriage and at the Super Bowl, where a moment that should have been about celebrating her power became another excuse to focus on the irrelevant.
My piece, “d i s s e d,” is a response to that pattern. The pixelated “GAME OVER” in the background isn’t just about competition—it’s a declaration. Serena won and she won long before her Super Bowl appearance.
Serena’s bigger than a rap feud.
Serena’s bigger than the distractions that try to pull focus from her impact.
Flare jeans will come and go. So will rap beefs. So will opinions like Smith’s. But Serena Williams? She’s forever. Game over.
I hope you enjoy.