Serena Williams is finally spilling the tea on why she didn’t ask Taylor Swift for an autograph for her daughter during the 2025 Super Bowl-and honestly, it’s pretty relatable.
In a new Time interview, the tennis legend said she held back from approaching the pop star that night because she could see Taylor was having a rough time watching her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s team lose. “I was ready to go in here myself and be like, ‘Taylor, come get this girl,’” Serena shared. “But it’s hard when your team is losing. I totally get it.”
Serena, 43, was sitting in a private suite at Caesar’s Superdome with her husband Alexis Ohanian and their six-year-old daughter Olympia, just a few suites away from Taylor. The plan was to introduce Olympia to the Eras Tour singer, who was cheering on Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs. But as the Philadelphia Eagles kept pulling ahead, Serena made the call to leave Swift alone and not ask for the autograph.
That Super Bowl-held on February 9, was packed with drama, both on and off the field. Fans couldn’t help but notice when Taylor Swift was shown on the jumbotron and got booed by some in the crowd. Serena, ever the Swiftie, was not here for it. “Why would you boo her?” she said in the interview. “That’s so mean. That’s just awful.” She even posted her support on X, tweeting, “I love you @taylorswift13 don’t listen to those booo!!”
But that wasn’t the only moment people were buzzing about Serena that night. Her surprise cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance stirred up its own wave of controversy. Serena joined Kendrick on stage during his performance of “Not Like Us”, a track fans believe is aimed at Drake, who Serena briefly dated back in 2011.
Cue the internet speculation. Was Serena shading Drake with her appearance and that very noticeable “crip walk”? Not at all, she says. “Absolutely not. I would never do that,” she told Time, shutting down the gossip.
Despite all the drama, Serena says she’s in a really good place these days with her husband Alexis. The two welcomed their second daughter, Adira, in 2023, and Serena says they’re just focused on family. “We’re so connected, we’re so in love,” she said. “We’re just, like, trying to get our daughter Taylor Swift autographs. And nothing else.”
What would you do if you had the chance to meet Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl? Would you hold back like Serena or go for it?