Drake is catching attention for what many fans are calling a quiet jab at Serena Williams, the tennis icon he dated on and off from 2011 to 2015.
The rapper liked a comment under his recent Instagram post that compared his new tennis-themed photoshoot with Sexyy Red to an “upgrade” from Williams.
Drake shared the photos on Nov. 17, captioning them, “I said tennis lesson she said where’s the bracelet or the necklace.”
Not long after, a user commented, “Serena Williams upgrade” with fire emojis, a remark Drake appeared to co-sign by liking it. Another follower quickly pointed out that he was being “messy for liking” the comment.
The subtle online move arrives months after Williams shut down speculation about whether her cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance had anything to do with Drake.
The performance featured Lamar’s hit Not Like Us, a widely discussed diss track directed at Drake, but Williams told Time in April that her dance moment was “absolutely not” shade toward her ex.
She added, “I would never… I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.”
Her appearance, she explained, was actually a nod to the celebration she did after beating Maria Sharapova at the 2012 London Olympics.
When asked whether she regretted participating, she told the outlet, “I don’t know if I regret it or not. I don’t know the answer to that.”
Drake and Williams were publicly linked again in 2015, though the two had already known each other for years.
He even mentioned her in his 2013 song Worst Behavior, rapping, “I swear I could beat Serena when she playin’ with her left.”
Whether his latest Instagram like was playful or pointed, it hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans, especially those who remember the pair’s long, complicated history.
