AceShowbiz - Serena Williams successfully brought laughter during her opening monologue at the 2024 ESPY Awards, which she hosted. At the ceremony, which took place at the Dolby Theater on Thursday night, July 11, the tennis icon took aim at Drake while poking fun at the rapper's beef with Kendrick Lamar.

Looking gorgeous in a black dress, Serena told the crowd during her six-minute monologue, "If I've learned anything this year, it's that none of us... not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar." She later crip-danced to Kendrick's new single "Not Like Us" which was played in the background.

The 42-year-old recently-retired athlete went on to say, "He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they're going to 'Forrest Gump' him. 'Seat's taken.' "

It's not the first time Serena praised Kendrick. During a panel at the 2024 Essence Fest earlier this month, the 7-time Wimbledon champ revealed that she's a fan of "Not Like Us". "I love that song. It's like the hit of the summer," Serena said. "When they play that jam, I'm jamming. That jam is jamming."

"You definitely Crip walking in that song. It's so cool what he did though. Bringing everyone to the stage? That was incredible. I couldn't believe it," she added.

On the Drake diss track, Kendrick name-dropped Serena, who was rumored to be dating the Canadian star in the early 2010s. "From Alondra down to Central, n***a better not speak on Serena," Kendrick rapped.

Back to Serena's monologue, fans appeared to love it. "She is being messy. Lol. Remember her and Drake used to date," one said. "that's right Serena clap back !!" someone added.

Some others, on the other hand, believed that Serena has been waiting for this moment after Drake dissed her husband, Alexis Ohanian, on his song "Her Loss". "he made a whole diss about her husband, so yea I love it," a fan wrote. Similarly, another commented, "Drake shaded her baby daddy first so she got her lick back."