Remember the last time Serena and TGL got together? It was quite the recipe for a disaster. This American tennis legend, usually known for her composed attitude in the heat of competition, was found stumbling through a commentary role at the TGL event. As she offered her takes, the audience noticed her struggle to find the right words – a far cry from her usual confidence on the court. However, unbothered as usual, Williams moved on and brought her razzmatazz to the TGL’s next day. And this time, she put her best foot forward with her golf-prodigy daughter and her husband.

Williams attended LAGC’s match against Atlanta Drive GC in the TGL session. Her club lost to Arthur Bank’s team by 6-5 in overtime, making their first loss in TGL’s history. Although LAGC led by 5-2 with four holes left, they couldn’t stand a chance in front of Billy Horschel’s team.

The results left their followers heartbroken. Yet they were impressed with Tommy Fleetwood’s back-to-back holes, especially his 8-footer for birdie. Among the audience who witnessed his brilliance was Serena Williams, who attended the match with her husband Alexis Ohanian, and elder daughter Olympia (the two other co-owners of her club).

The Olympic gold-medalist ex-player shared a video on her IG story, sitting inside the SoFi Centre in Florida and enjoying the match. Her husband also appeared in her short clip, sending “hi” to her followers. Williams’ elder daughter and budding golf enthusiast Olympia also featured in the video, sitting beside her mother and showing her excitement with her victory sign. The American legend concluded with a cheer for LAGC, showing off her excitement for this interactive, technology-integrated golf league presented by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Speaking about her TGL experience, Williams said in an interview with ESPN, “It’s so exciting to be here as a team owner and just get a different look at things.” She also reflected on the walkouts, which added flair to the sport: “It’s so wild. It’s something you see a little bit in tennis or all the time in basketball, right? We don’t really see it in golf. Actually, we never see that in golf. It’s so good to see their personalities and see them shine as golfers, as they are.” 

Excited as she is, Williams remained honest about her golf skills. “No, but I did hit last Sunday, and that counts,” she said with a playful humor. While golfing might not be Williams’ cup of tea, her daughter Olympia is a prodigy in the sport, stealing all the spotlights. “My daughter plays golf,” she revealed with a subtle pride in her eyes.

For Williams, this is more than just a business. Her husband Alexis Ohanian said in an interview earlier, “To wit, my wife Serena [Williams] and I have enjoyed as Olympia’s taken a liking to golf. This is another piece of the legacy I’m building for my family and I hope this team can become a part of many families’ lives, too.” However, despite their keenness, Serena Williams’ attendance at the previous TGL session sparked a major backlash, especially given her lack of knowledge of the sport.

Serena Williams draws criticism as a commentator in the TGL

Williams attended TGL’s match on January 14 between LAGC and Jupiter Links. A co-owner of the LAGC team, this legendary athlete reversed her role – briefly becoming ESPN’s commentator during the broadcast. However, the tennis legend found heavy criticism for not resonating with golf enthusiasts. There were comments like, “TGL could be a lot of fun with knowledge golf commentators. They’ve got Serena Williams out here trying to talk golf,” and “So Serena Williams is single handedly ruining TGL,” which expressed the audience’s disappointment.

Despite the backlash, Williams received a motivational shout-out from LAGC and Jupiter Links. Snippets of Williams’ moment as a commentator were shared by ESPN on their IG handle, with a caption: “Tiger Woods and Serena Williams know a thing or two about winning 😤. LAGC commented there, showing their appreciation for Serena. “We love everything about this,” they wrote. Their emotions echoed in Jupiter Links’ comment too, which backed their opponent’s statement: “We second this.”

Serena Williams might have retired but she still has her fingers in many a pie. And as golf begins to take a prominent role in her life post-tennis – whether that be through her ownership stake in LAGC or her daughter’s practice session – one thing’s for sure. Serena Williams, never to be outdone, will definitely find her own within this new landscape too.