How Serena Williams' surprise appearance at the Super Bowl was her biggest dig at ex Drake yet - after their VERY toxic dating history

When Kendrick Lamar took to the stage during the Super Bowl Halftime Show yesterday, it wasn't just his lyrics that intended to bruise Drake's ego. During his 13-minute set in New Orleans, the rapper, 37, performed his hugely popular Drake diss track, Not Like Us, which swept all five of its Grammy nominations last week. However, the digs hurled towards his rap rival didn't end there, with Kendrick also bringing out his ex-girlfriends SZA and Serena Williams. The latter is also in a public feud with the Canadian rapper.

Williams, a fellow native of Lamar's hometown of Compton, California, made a surprise appearance on stage and started dancing during the track. 'Serena been waiting to get that lick back,' Jemele Hill of The Atlantic posted to Twitter after the performance. One fan joked, 'Kendrick getting the entire Super Bowl screaming ''a minor'' with Serena Williams dancing must feel like a shot gun blast to Drake's chest.'.

So, what is the drama between Drake, 38, and Serena, 43, and was she trying to send the One Dance rapper a message with her performance?. Here, Femail explores how the pair's relationship went from romance - and engagement rumours - to a public spat in a matter of years... Kendrick Lamar hit out at his rap rival Drake during his Super Bowl performance yesterday evening - and even invited his ex-girlfriend Serena Williams to dance on stage (pictured: Drake at the Billboard Music Awards in Los Angeles, 2021).

Before Serena settled down with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, rumours swirled that she was romantically involved with Drake. The rapper was spotted at her tennis matches in 2011 and even sent a flirtatious tweet: '@SerenaWilliams I cannot wait to put it on you and make you sweat……. during our match this weekend.'. The romance claims appeared to be well founded in 2015, when they were spotted kissing at a Cincinnati restaurant in the August of that year.

Drake also attended Serena's runway show at New York Fashion Week 2015, sitting in the front row alongside Vogue's Anna Wintour. OK Magazine then ran a story saying the pair had plans to tie the knot, though Drake's representative later denied the claims, dubbing them 'completely untrue'. Sources later confirmed to Page Six that, while Serena and Drake did date, they were no longer an item. Serena Williams surprised fans during Kendrick Lamar's performance of Drake diss track Not Like Us yesterday evening.

The Canadian rapper was spotted supporting the sports star during a 2011 tennis match in Toronto (pictured). Drake, who confirmed that his 2016 song Too Good was inspired by the tennis player, is seen kissing Serena's hand. The insider said: 'Serena briefly dated Drake around 2011 and even though it didn't end that well, they have remained friends since. 'He has been at her side at a lot of tournaments recently, including Wimbledon in July, where he sat in her box next to her sister Venus [Williams].'.

The saga didn't end with their relationship though, with Drake bringing back old feelings for Serena's in his 2016 song Too Good. The chorus read: 'I'm too good to you/ I'm way too good to you/ You take my love for granted/ I just don't understand it'. It was confirmed that Serena was the inspiration for the hit song featuring Rihanna last year, when Drake released archival footage and unreleased songs.

Drake discussed the song with his mother, Sandi Graham, during a studio session in one clip. Graham told his son that the album, Certified Lover Boy's, was 'very light', but Drake disagreed, according to People. He said:  'No, I get heavy on a couple joints, but this is more about me and Serena'. Pictured: Drake and Venus Williams embracing in the players and coaches box at Wimbledon in London, 2015.

The Canadian rapper attended Serena's New York Fashion Week show with Anna Wintour in 2016 (pictured). 'I gather!' Graham replied. Drake continued in the video: 'It's funny because when I make songs about women, I also make songs for them. So, I know what kind of song to make. 'If I'm gonna talk about them, I'll at least do them the justice of making them a song that they'll like. 'I know Serena very well, and I know that she'll hear it loud and clear, but not hate me for it because it's lighthearted.'.

His mother then asked: 'And she is seeing someone else?'. 'I don't know, mom,' the father-of-one replied. Drake released his album Views in April 2016, and later that year, he and Rihanna scored a hit with Too Good. The song, released as a single from the album, reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September. The tennis star (seen at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024) wed Alex Ohanian in 2017.

Pictured: Serena Williams, Alex Ohanian, and their daughter, Alexis Olympia, at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, 2024. Serena wed Alexis Ohanian, multi-millionaire co-founder of social news website Reddit in 2017, just 11 weeks after giving birth to their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. Despite Serena and Alexis' union, Drake appeared to still have the tennis player on his mind, and in 2022, he appeared to target Alex in his song Middle of the Ocean.