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Crucial Update

Drake and Serena Williams, an OTP History

By Eileen Sutton
Drake watching Serena play tennis back in 2011. Photo: Getty Images
Drake watching Serena play tennis back in 2011. Photo: Getty Images

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Monday morning, TMZ woke the internet up with a photo of Serena Williams and Drake allegedly canoodling in the private room at a Cincinnati restaurant. The event served to confirm many months of dating rumors (Hollywood Life claims to have caught the two kissing at Wimbledon). With celebrity breakups overcrowding the summer, Drake and Serena—Aubrena, to some—are a couple to believe in. Now, let's trace all of their internet interactions since the start of this so-called "friendship."

Social Engagement

Like most of Drake's relationships, his Twitter interactions with Serena are completely unrequited. Since its inception, the rapper has tweeted at Williams multiple times with one heartfelt statement after another. We can only assume her response in kind came in the form of a loving text message, since she never publicly responded to him.

You can see how these tweets led to some rumors of romance between the two. According to Page Six, they did actually date back in 2011, but are nothing more than friends now. The gossip engine blamed Serena's determination to win the US Open for the split.

<h3>Love Triangle Beef</h3>

Drake and Common in 2013, post-beef. Photo: Getty Images

Drake and Common in 2013, post-beef. Photo: Getty Images

In 2012, a mysterious rap beef took place between Drake and Common, the latter of which had been on-again-off-again with Williams between 2007 and 2015. The largest chunk of their relationship took place between the end of 2007 (after Serena was spotted in his music video, "I Want You") and April 2010. Upon their breakup, Serena told Harper's Bazaar, "His schedule is actually worse than mine. He didn't want the responsibility. It's really tough." Most recently, the two had been allegedly rekindling after hanging out at both the Grammys and the Oscars.

In "Sweet," the third single of Common's ninth album, the rapper subliminally called Drake soft, writing, "Singing all around me man, la la la/You ain't mutha—-ing Frank Sinatra." Drake responded more openly at a live show in Las Vegas with, "I might sing, but I ain't no bitch. If Common got something to say, say it to my face." Common took Drake's advice (kind of), admitting that line in "Sweet" was about Drake. It was then that Drake issued a more official response through Rick Ross's track, "Stay Schemin'." Common fired back with a response in the "Stay Schemin' (Remix)," calling out Drake by name and referring to him as "Canada Dry," which is a pretty solid diss.

The origin of said beef was unknown, until Common admitted that it was centered around his relationship with the tennis star. He told Vlad TV, "I mean, I think for me it was an emotional thing. I was feeling like, at that time, it was the Drake/Serena situation, I didn't know what was going on with that."

Amidst the drama, Drizzy gave Serena a shoutout in his 2013 tune "Worst Behavior," declaring that he could beat Serena when she's playing lefty.

I'm with my whole set, tennis matches at the crib

I swear I could beat Serena when she playin' with her left

IRL VIBING

A few months after "Worst Behavior" debuted, evidence that Drake made good on his lyrics arose as an image of the two on the court surfaced.

When Serena and Drake are reportedly "on," the rapper attends her tennis matches. He has been spotted sitting in her private box in 2011, when the two were reportedly dating, as well as in 2015, weeks (and days) before they were seen locking lips. His smile was so wide at Wimbledon this summer, the tennis tournament's official Twitter account even took notice.

After beating Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, Serena shut down dating rumors, telling reporters, "We've been friends for, like, so many years. Just like family."

Getty Images

Drake watching Serena, 2015. Photo: Getty Images

And yet, their closeness was captured adorably in the video below, as they smile at each other from across the court, an OTP we could really, really use in the summer of breakups.

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