Serena Williams Clowns Drake In 2024 ESPYs Opening Monologue

Serena Williams served as the 2024 ESPYs host and used her first monologue to troll Drake amid his beef with Kendrick Lamar. On Thursday night (July 11) at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Calif., the tennis legend and hundreds of the sports industry’s biggest names gathered in Hollywood to bestow trophies to both veterans and rookies. Kicking off the annual event, Williams took centerstage joining R&B singer Ciara during her opening performance.

After dancing along to “1, 2 Step,” per PEOPLE, the Compton native delivered a comical round of jokes, setting the tone for the spirited evening. Laying into Drake, the 42-year-old extended LA’s victory lap around the OVO ring leader.

“And if I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us—not a single one of us, not even me—should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” trolled Williams as Lamar’s chart-topping “Not Like Us” hook looped into the venue speakers. She continued, “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re gonna Forrest Gump him.”

This is not the first time Williams has publicly shared her love for the catchy diss record.

Last weekend while at ESSENCE Festival, the mother of two declared, “I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer,” adding, “You definitely Crip walking in that song. It’s so cool what he did though. Bringing everyone to the stage? That was incredible… I couldn’t believe it.”

Williams’ love of Kendrick Lamar may be due to their shared Compton roots, or the Drake-directed name-dropping bar “From Alondra down to Central, ni**a better not speak on Serena,” in the track’s second verse. However, her trolling of Drake might relate to their own rift.

After a rumored romance in 2011, which also allegedly resulted in the “God’s Plan” singer’s beef with Common, Drake and Serena were spotted together in 2015. The situationship likely ended on not-so-good terms as the Toronto-bred rapper used a moment in “Middle Of The Ocean” from the Her Loss album to exclaim, “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie/ He claim we don’t got a problem but, no boo, it is, like you coming for sushi/ We might pop up on him at will like Suzuki.”

With support from her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and eldest child Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., the 23-time Grand Slam Champion continued to host the 2024 ESPY Awards without a hitch. Honorees included Dawn Staley, A’Ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and more.

Read the full 2024 ESPYS winners list below per ESPN and watch Serena William’s opening monologue above.

Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1

Best NBA Player: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Best Athlete with a Disability: Brenna Huckaby, Snowboarding

Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa Basketball

Best WNBA Player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best Breakthrough Athlete: JuJu Watkins, USC Basketball

Best Championship Performance: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Best Athlete, Women’s Sports: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley

Best Play: Lamar Jackson catches his own pass

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve Gleason

Best Athlete, Men’s Sports: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best Record-Breaking Performance: Caitlin Clark crowned as the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Maui Surfing Community

Best Comeback Athlete: Simone Biles, Gymnastics

Best Team: South Carolina Women’s Basketball