Serena Williams’ Special Taunt to Maria Sharapova, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and Even Harrison Butker at ESPYs.
After the surprise wins of Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova on Center Court, all eyes turned to Serena Williams.
Last Thursday, Serena Williams, as the 23-time Grand Slam champion, hosted the 32nd ESPY Awards held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Although Williams has retired from professional tennis after the 2022 US Open, she has never lost her ability to be at the center of the spotlight.
Some of Serena’s interesting segments were as follows:
Kendrick and Drake controversy
At a time when Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka were supporting Team Kendrick starting in May, Serena showed humorous support for Kendrick Lamar from Compton, Calif., at the ESPYs. Drawing attention with his criticism of Drake, Williams said, “There’s something I’ve learned this year: None of us, even me, should fight with Kendrick Lamar,” and then criticized Drake, referring to the Raptors games in Toronto.
Rivalry with Sharapova
The rivalry between Serena and Maria Sharapova showed a clear advantage for Williams, with 20 wins. Serena sang “She Could Be My Tennis Ball” for Sharapova, referencing the song Jamie Foxx sang for her at the 2003 ESPY Awards. In her lyrics, she highlighted her wins over Sharapova and the one-sided nature of the rivalry.
Humorous moments with Meghan and Harry
“Please don’t breathe too hard tonight, because it’s my night,” Williams joked to her best friends, Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry.
Joking with Venus
Venus Williams humorously supported her little sister Serena, saying, “ESPN asked me to host this year, but I declined. Let my little sister continue.” This included a reference to Venus’ achievements at Wimbledon.
Other notable moments of the night
Moments such as meeting many “Serenas” with different names and jokes about Harrison Butker were other highlights of the night, in addition to spending time with the Williams family.