With 133.5 million viewers, Kendrick Lamar’s performance at Superbowl LIX was the most-watched Halftime Show in history, but “Not Like Us,” his provocative diss track against Drake, wasn’t the best part of the show — that honor went to a surprise appearance by tennis legend Serena Williams.
Calling it “the best 10 seconds of my life,” Williams explained on Instagram that Lamar, who is also a Compton, California native, had seen her crip walk dance at the 2012 Olympics and invited her to perform with him in New Orleans. “I’m like Super Bowl? Are you serious?… I knew my winning dance after the @olympics would pay off one day. End of story.”
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Others, like ESPN commentator Steven A. Smith, speculated that she was still thinking about Drake, whom she dated on and off from 2011 and 2015, even going so far to suggest that if he was Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, he’d leave her, rhetorically asking, “What you worried about him for and you’re with me?”
Turns out Ohanian, who has been married to the legendary athlete since 2017, is enthusiastically Team Serena, even taking to X to voice his support:
Pretty fantastic halftime show.
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 10, 2025
Just another day in the life of the G.O.A.T.
Who is Serena Williams?
Widely regarded as the best female tennis player in history as well as the all-time highest-earning female athlete, Williams revolutionized the game with her powerful athleticism and, in the process, opened the doors to athletes of color. She has 23 Grand Slam singles titles to her name, 14 Grand Slam doubles with her sister, Venus Williams, and four Olympic gold medals.
In addition, Williams is an ace at business with her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, a multimedia company, Nine Two Six Productions, and a healthcare brand, Will Perform. Together, they have expanded her wealth by over 50% since 2019, according to Forbes.
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A style star and cultural icon, Williams has made appearances on everything from Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” video to E!’s “Keeping up with the Kardashians” to the 2023 smash film “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.” She owns a global real estate portfolio and has launched her own clothing and tennis lines — Nike even named a building in honor.
It’s a wonder how she can keep track of everything and raise her two daughters, Alexis Olympia and Adira River, in the process — but if anyone can do it, the “Queen of the Court” can.
What is Serena Williams’ net worth in 2025?
According to Forbes, as of February 2025, Williams’ net worth stands at an impressive $340 million, earning her the #97 spot on the publication’s 2024 list of “America’s Self-Made Women.”
The thing is, Williams retired from tennis in 2022, pocketing a total of $95 million in prize money. That means she’s made nearly three times as much, or $245 million, off the court.
And they say tennis is a game of strategy …
Williams and Ohanian, pictured at the 2024 Olympics with daughter Olympia, have a combined net worth of $410 million.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Williams’ net worth with Alexis Ohanian
It’s probably not fair to call Williams the breadwinner in the Ohanian family, but let’s face it — she trounces her husband when it comes to wealth.
The last time Forbes profiled Ohanian’s net worth was in 2019, valuing him at $70 million. He co-created Reddit with his college roommate, Steve Huffman, selling Reddit to Condé Nast in 2005 and pocketing just $10 million in the process.
Both would later return to the company in leading roles: Ohanian served as executive chairman from 2014 to 2020.
Related: A history of Reddit: From “front page of the internet” to billion-dollar valuation
In addition, he was a partner at the famed venture capital incubator Y Combinator (part of the firm’s “first batch” in 2005, along with OpenAI’s Sam Altman); he helped launch the travel website Hipmunk in 2010, and in 2021, he created his own VC firm, Seven Seven Six, which invests in early-stage companies with an emphasis on equity.
This includes women’s sports and ventures by Colin Kaepernick, the NFL player made famous for protesting against racial inequality and police brutality by taking a knee during the National Anthem.
Williams and Ohanian’s combined net worth is $410 million.
Best friends and frequent competitors Venus (left) and Serena Williams are pictured at the 1998 Adidas International in Sydney, Australia.
Clive Brunskill/Allsport
Serena Williams’ early life
No one ever thought two black girls with beads and braids from Compton would shatter stereotypes in tennis, but just like Tiger Woods did with golf, the Williams sisters opened doors to what had been a predominantly white sport — and became very rich in the process.
Venus Williams, who herself has a net worth of $95 million, was born on June 17, 1980; Serena was born on September 26, 1981. The close-knit sisters have said they were a “huge influence on each other,” with Serena calling her big sister “my rock.”
Related: Tiger Woods’ net worth & earnings at age 50
Their father, Richard Williams, was a former sharecropper from Louisiana. He and Oracene Price, his wife, taught themselves how to play tennis by reading books and watching videos. When Serena was three years old, the young family moved from Saginaw, Michigan to Compton, California — Richard was inspired by the example of Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X and believed that the tough neighborhood would make his children strong.
Serena and Venus began to play on run-down courts with Richard as their coach — the sisters were even homeschooled so as to maximize their practice time.
When Serena was nine, the family relocated again, to West Palm Beach, Florida, so that she and her sister could attend Rick Macci’s famed tennis academy. Macci is credited for coaching other top talent like Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and Jennifer Capriati.
Williams’ professional debut came in 1995, at the age of 14, at a qualifying event in Quebec City, where she was soundly defeated by Annie Miller. Just two years later, Williams would be the 99th-ranked player in the world.
Overcoming discrimination
But her journey was never easy. Because of her strong stature and powerful physique, people made fun of Serena’s appearance, ridiculing her breast size and comparing the Williams sisters’ tennis game to “watching monkeys at the zoo.” One commentator said that if the Williams sisters posed naked, it would be for a publication like National Geographic and not Playboy.
Venus turned professional in 1994; by 2000, she had won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon.
Set to play in the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament in 2001, Venus withdrew at the last minute, citing tendinitis. Fans erupted in jeers, accusing Richard of match-fixing and spewing racial slurs at the family, including the N-word. Although Serena won her match against Kim Clijsters, she said the incident haunted her for years to come.
@Knightcartoons cartoon is not racist or sexist …. it rightly mocks poor behavior by a tennis legend … Mark has the full support of everyone @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/KWMT3QahJh
— Damon Johnston (@damonTheOz) September 11, 2018
Serena boycotted that tournament until 2015, but the derogatory caricatures and online hate continued throughout her career. However, Serena vowed to rise above it all, putting it best in 2006, when she told reporters, “I don’t dwell on other people. I know what I have to do. You have to be happy with what you’re doing.”
Her career achievements prove that in spades.
Serena Williams’ career highlights
On July 8, 2002, Williams became the top-ranked player in the world, and her reign would last for a total of 316 weeks throughout her career.
Her First Grand Slam series came in 2002, when she won French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open — and when she won a series again in 2015 (Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon), she inspired a new title, “Serena Slam” in the process.
Williams also won the “Surface Slam” in 2015, which included victories on all three court surfaces: hard, clay, and grass, in the same year.
She claimed victory at Wimbledon seven times, in 2002, 2003, 2009–2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016.
Related: Beyoncé’s net worth: How the ‘Irreplaceable’ singer amassed her fortune
She championed the Australian Open seven times, in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009–2010, 2015, and 2017. Her final win there was especially significant, as she was eight weeks pregnant at the time.
Serena and Venus Williams played each other 31 times in their professional career; Serena won 19 matches, while Venus won 12.
Williams’ final match was at the 2022 US Open, where she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in a third-round match. At the end of the match, she held her hand over her heart and mouthed “I love you” to a thunderous ovation from the crowd.
She did it her way, forever a champion.
Williams waves to the crowd after her final performance at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Serena Williams’ endorsements
Along with titles came sponsorships. According to Forbes, Williams has retained endorsement deals with over a dozen brands — even though she’s retired. These include Beats by Dre, Gatorade, Nike, Piguet watches, and Puma.
Her 2003 contract with Nike was worth $55 million alone.
She also has an eponymous jewelry line and an athleisure clothing brand, S by Serena.
Serena and Venus Williams became the first Black women to invest in an NFL team when they purchase stakes in the Miami Dolphins in 2009; they also invest in technology startups. Here they are pictured at the Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles in May, 2024.
Chesnot/Getty Images
Serena Williams’ business ventures
Best friends in real life, Serena and Venus have invested in several businesses together, including the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Golf Club, which is part of the TGL golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
More sports venturists:
Rory McIlroy’s net worth: How much the PGA star & Nike spokesperson makes on the linksJerry Jones’ net worth: How the Cowboys owner made his moneyTom Brady’s net worth: Minting millions in his NFL retirement
Serena said that her mission after tennis is investing in women, people of color and diversity in general. Serena Ventures was launched in 2015; as of 2024, fourteen of the companies in her portfolio were valued at more than $1 billion.
A few include the Calico eCommerce platform, Esusu fintech company, and Parfait, which uses AI and advanced facial recognition to provide customized wigs to shoppers online.
Along with Venus, Williams executive produced the 2021 Oscar-nominated film “King Richard,” which centered on their father’s story.
Williams also wrote a children’s book, “The Adventures of Qai Qai” that became the No. 1 selling new release on Amazon in 2022.
Williams and Ohanian attended the 2023 Met Gala celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Serena Williams’ personal life
Williams has largely kept her personal life private, although, in addition to Drake, she is also rumored to have dated rapper Common, “Rush Hour” director Brett Ratner, and NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire. She also reportedly dated her tennis coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, although neither confirmed the romance.
In 2015, Williams met Ohanian at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome — Williams was playing in the Italian Open, and Ohanian was speaking at a conference on behalf of Reddit.
According to Vanity Fair, the story goes that Ohanian, who was slightly hungover from a party the night before, sat down next to her and her friends by the pool. His only stated interest was in food and coffee, but as he put on his headphones to start working on his laptop, Serena and her friends became annoyed and asked him to move. However, Ohanian’s friend, Zane Haupt, had just arrived and noticed a rat by the other table, making it impossible for him to move.
So, Serena invited them to stay with them poolside, and later, to watch her play tennis. She didn’t perform that well, but she was captivated, inviting him to join her at her next match in Paris. He accepted — and the rest was history.
Returning to the hotel where they had first met, Ohanian proposed to Williams on December 10, 2016; on September 1, 2017, the couple’s first child, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian (whom they call Olympia), was born.
Williams and Ohanian were married on November 16, 2017, at a lavish ceremony at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. Guests included Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, and Anna Wintour.
Their second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, was born in August 2023.
Serena Williams’ real estate portfolio
Williams and her Venus, who also has her own interior design business, V Starr, collaborated on her main residence, a 14,500-square-foot Mediterranean dream home in Miami.
According to Architectural Digest, the home, which Williams purchased in 2017 for an undisclosed sum, features an infinity pool, gym, sauna, wine cellar, and karaoke room, and the sisters spent three years upgrading it.
Also in 2017, Williams purchased another Mediterranean home — this one in Beverly Hills, Calif. for $6.7 million. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home has a custom chef’s kitchen with polished marble island, a massage room, and a yoga room.
Across the pond, Williams bought a fashionable Parisian pied-à-terre in 2007, ostensibly to be close to the French Open. Details are vague as to the home’s purchase price as well as whether or not she still owns it.
And in 2020, Williams bought another Floridian property: A 10,433 square-foot riverfront estate in Jupiter, not far from where she grew up — but worlds away, as they say.
Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire S&P 500 warning for 2025
