On Thursday, July 11, Serena Williams hosted the ESPY Awards. During her hosting gig, she paid tribute to her adversary, Maria Sharapova, with a humorous song that addressed their competition and rivalry.
Williams highlighted their rivalry at the ESPYs with the amusing song “She could be my tennis ball.” The 23-time Grand Slam winner paid homage to Jamie Foxx’s notorious performance of “Can I be your tennis ball?” during the 2003 ESPY Awards, in which he captivated Williams.
Williams sang: “She could be my tennis ball. She’s Russian, blonde, and very tall. People say we had a feud, which was presumptuous and kind of rude.”
She further sang: “Besides that, I beat her 20 times; I just want it clear; I don’t have to rhyme. She always gave me her best shot. We were like the guys in Challengers [the movie], but way more hot.”
Throughout their careers, Williams and Sharapova’s alleged rivalry attracted a great deal of media attention, with both former players making subtly suggestive remarks about the other in interviews and press conferences.