Tennis legend Serena Williams is setting the record straight after her energetic appearance at Super Bowl LIX sparked rumors of a subtle jab at rapper Drake. During Kendrick Lamar’s powerful halftime performance, Williams took center stage with a surprise dance move that had the crowd roaring the Crip Walk while Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us” played in the background.

Williams Says Her Dance Was Purely for Fun, Not a Message

In a recent interview with Time Magazine, where she graces the cover as part of the Time 100 list, Williams addressed the controversy head-on. When asked if her dance was a pointed gesture toward her ex-boyfriend, Drake, she firmly denied it.

“Absolutely not,” Serena stated. “I would never do that.” She acknowledged that people might have read into it due to her past with Drake, but insisted that there was no malicious intent behind her moves. “I respect how they could. Obviously, I can see how someone would think that, but absolutely not.”

This isn’t the first time Williams’ dancing has made headlines. Back in 2012, after defeating Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon, Serena celebrated by doing the same dance—a move that was later criticized for being gang-affiliated. At the time, she explained her intentions clearly.

“First of all, it was just a dance,” she told The Guardian. “I didn’t know that’s what it was called… Why are you asking me that? If anything, you should be trying to lift me up, not bring up such things.”

Now, over a decade later, Williams is still being misunderstood for expressing joy. But just as she did then, she’s standing tall, proud, and unbothered dancing on her own terms.