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Serena Williams Shared Adorable Moment With Daughter Alexis Ahead of Super Bowl Halftime Show Surprise

Before Williams’s amazing cameo during the halftime show, she spent some quality time with her mini-me.

Diana Nosa

Serena Williams
Serena Williams / Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation

Before nearly breaking the internet with her surprise cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance on Sunday, Serena Williams spent quality time with one of the people she holds dearest, her beautiful daughter, Alexis Olympia Jr.

The former tennis pro, Olympian and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model—who made her debut with the brand in 2003 in Miami—took to Instagram to share behind the scenes photos from rehearsals with her 17.6 million followers. The youngin’ played with her mother’s golden blonde curly hair for a bit before switching places with Williams, showing that, whenever there’s downtime, this pair is as affectionate as ever.

In these photos, fans also notice that the 43-year-old celebrity is wearing a very recognizable blue skirt, the same one she wore on stage during the Super Bowl LIX which saw the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. And though the moment is still new on everyone’s mind, there’s no doubt that this article of clothing—along with the matching blue top she wore on stage—should eventually be hung up in a museum.

The halftime performance, which saw SZA join Lamar on stage as well as a surprise appearance from Samuel L. Jackson, included a very blatant jab at one of the biggest rappers in the music industry, Drake.

Williams and Drake’s now-soiled relationship dates back to 10 years ago when the two reportedly dated. After their eventual split, the Toronto rapper, 38, went on to write multiple songs about the trailblazing athlete, 43, like “Too Good” and “Middle of the Ocean,” the latter of which took a dig at Williams’s husband Alexis Ohanian. “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie,” the lyric went.

Flash forward to the Super Bowl LIX, and Lamar took his very public beef with Drake to the major sports event. But rather than just letting the words of the diss track “Not Like Us” ring through the stadium, the rapper added another element by inviting Williams to crip walk to the song in front of millions of viewers.

With such an unforgettable performance, it’s nice to see that Williams’s eldest was right by her side before her instantly iconic appearance. Williams and Ohanian share two daughters; Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and Adira River Ohanian.

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Diana Nosa
DIANA NOSA

After graduating from Rutgers University with degrees in Psychology and Theatre, Diana Nosa ventured off on the path of becoming an entertainment journalist. Having her start on various entertainment sites, she eventually found her way to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 2024 and has been working diligently ever since. Diana's interests include fashion, interior design and traveling. She's also an avid anime watcher and gamer––her favorite games being Elden Ring and Hollow Knight.

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