First Rihanna Now GloRilla, Serena Williams’ Husband Faces Back-to-Back Celeb Calls for Athlos

Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos meet was a spectacle last year. It attracted not just track and field fans but also big names from the entertainment world. The star-studded event, at the Icahn Stadium in New York, featured running legends like Gabby Thomas, Alexis Holmes, Faith Kipyegon, and Masai Russell. They participated in the 100m, 100m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m races. On the other hand, the sporting action was elevated by an iconic, concert-like presence of hip-hop sensation Megan Thee Stallion. After all, the event is basically “Coachella meets a track meet.” One can only expect the next meet to have even bigger stars. So who’s it gonna be?

Well, Serena Williams’ husband has received a big request to have a rising music talent for 2025’s meet, after getting a ‘Rihanna request’ a few months back.

Last year, Athlos’ chief marketing officer Kayla Green mentioned that the event is “For the track fan for sure, but it might be for that more casual fan,” reported LetsRun last September. “Or it might be for a Megan Thee Stallion fan who has never been to a track meet before and they leave and they say, ‘that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been to and my goodness these women are exceptional, I need to follow them.’” 

Athlos racked up over 3 million views across X, YouTube, ESPN+, DAZN, and ESPN2. With the success of its first edition, expectations for the next meet are sky-high. In 2025, too, Ohanian and team seem to be preparing for a similar show to present track and field’s smooth crossover with the world of music. And one of Athlos’ returning athletes this year, Russell, has now pitched an idea to Ohanian for who he could approach.

Athlos’ official IG account dropped a brief clip, on April 12, featuring Ohanian’s interaction with Russell. He asked her, “Alright, Masai Russell, you are such a star. We loved having you at Athlos last year. I’m so excited for you to be back this year. Walkout song—what’s it gonna be?”

To this, she replied, “Oh, come on now, you’re putting the pressure on me. Maybe some GloRilla. Like… ‘What you know about me, big G-L-O in a G-L-E, huh, huh.’ Yeah, probably that!“

Serena Williams’ beloved then told her that he was “familiar” with the hip-hop artist and that he knows “GloRilla is quite a star—very popular with the kids these days.” However, Russell then suggested that she could actually be “another person that we gotta, you know, talk to.” The message was clear.

Upon hearing Russell, Ohanian had only one thing to say—while already feeling the pressure: “Y’all are making a long list of stars that I’ve got to recruit. I mean, I was really proud that we got Meg last year. I’m gonna try to outdo ourselves this coming year.”

But it wasn’t over. Masai then reminded Ohanian even in the comments section, tagging GloRilla: “@glorillapimp pull up to Athlos this year 😍,” she wrote. The founder then replied, “Don’t worry, I’m not quitting my day job. Thank you for putting up with my questions, @masai_russell—you’re a star.”

But why is he feeling even more pressure to bring big names to Athlos this October? Because someone has already made a bold request for 2025: Rihanna. Talk about setting the bar high!

Will Rihanna answer Serena Williams’ husband’s Athlos call?

Last year’s Athlos meet saw 36 world class athletes gracing the track and field with their amazing skills. One of them was also Grace Stark, an American Olympian who shined at the 2024 Olympics. The 23-year-old, who finished fifth in Paris, expressed a wish earlier this year to see none other than the Work hitmaker’s concert at the NYC Icahn Stadium.

In February, Serena Williams‘ husband shared an interview with Grace Stark. She was seen talking to Katelyn Hutchison. When the Hutchison asked her, “What’s one artist you would love to see perform at Athlos?” Stark simply said, “Rihanna!”

Well, Ohanian decided to take her request one step further. How? He apparently shared the clip featuring Stark on social media while tagging Rihanna herself. “🏃‍♀️ @athlos — The fastest women on the planet. The biggest purse prize in history. And an iconic musical guest TBD… OK, @badgalriri — ATHLOS 2025 — what do you say?! 👀” he wrote.

But guess what? Rihanna’s not the only A-list celebrity on Ohanian’s potential list for the meet. Later, on X, he revealed how eager he is to also bring Dune star “Zendaya to ATHLOS 2025… @zoe__hobbs I gotchu.”

Do you think Rihanna, Zendaya, and GloRilla will eventually grace Athlos 2025 with their magical presence? Let us know in the comments below.