The Super Bowl LIX half-time was half Serena’s show it seems! Philadelphia Eagles may have won the big match against three-peat contenders Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but it was Serena Williams’ crip walk that took away the limelight at the Caesars Superdome. The legend made a surprise cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance in this mega event. Shortly after this moment, we saw several tennis stars and even renowned personalities from different sports heaping praise on Serena Williams for her incredible performance. And one among them was a certain F1 legend and Serena’s close friend!

But before all the pizzazz, what exactly is the dance move that Serena pulled out? The crip walk has been a part of California’s pop culture for a long time. We know Williams and Lamar are both from Compton, California and both of them share a cordial relationship. Their unique bond was reflected when Williams danced to the tunes of Drake-intended diss track and 5x Grammy winner ‘Not Like Us.’ The crowd inside the Superdome erupted seeing the tennis star feature in the performance. But notable, this wasn’t the first time that we’ve seen Serena Williams doing a crip walk in front of a jam-packed stadium!

Serena Williams faced a lot of criticism after performing a similar dance move while celebrating her gold medal win at the 2012 London Olympics. While some labeled it as crass and unbecoming of Wimbledon, other defended her. But this time around, the story was different – how! Serena ate and left no crumbs – or naysayers. And one of the loudest cheers came from British F1 driver and her friend, Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who is also a minority owner of Denver Broncos, shared a post on his IG story with the caption, “Great game, great show. Mad respect to all the athletes who went out and gave it their all. Congrats to the Eagles. Deserved.” But for his friend too, he had some quiet praise.

Right after that, the F1 star came up with another IG story which highlighted Williams’ performance at the 2025 Super Bowl. He captioned that post with, “@SerenaWilliams Iconic.” A dance celebrating black history and culture brought together the pair across continents. But is this the first time that Hamilton has heaped praise on the tennis star, though? Well, the answer is a big no! They are two of the most successful athletes in the sports world, and there have been several moments in the past where they showed their love and admiration for each other.

Previously, during an interview with the PEOPLE, Lewis Hamilton revealed, “It can be quite a lonely experience being at the top of your sport. So, to be able to confide in other individuals who have experienced something similar. Serena and I — we talk a lot about sports and competition, and when we talk to each other about the struggles or the successes, only us in our little bubble can understand.” He further stated, “When you’re talking to Serena, you’re like — yeah, I know Williams, I know what you’re talking about. So, it’s pretty unique and a privilege to have those conversations.“

During a previous interview with GQ Sports, Lewis Hamilton was spotted admitting Serena Williams is his “favorite sporter outside motorsport.” He hailed her competitive spirit and stated, “She’s just a bundle of fun, great energy, a serious competitor, loves karaoke, like with a real passion, and just playing. She’s just a playful person.” Even when Williams announced her retirement from the sport, Hamilton shared a heartfelt note on the tennis star. In that post, he hailed Serena Williams as the GOAT and admitted, “We will never see another Serena. She’s one of a kind.“

Even Serena Williams has always been a passionate supporter of Lewis Hamilton. She has even been spotted several times attending his F1 races. In 2020, Williams said, “He [Lewis Hamilton] is, for me, the greatest driver that our generation has seen. I’m confident that he will break the record of Michael Schumacher, who was also a fabulous driver.“

Not only that, even when Lewis Hamilton clinched the podium spot at the all-time classic British Grand Prix in 2024, we saw both Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, showering their love and admiration for the racer. So, Lewis Hamilton highlighting Serena Williams’ special moment from the 2025 Super Bowl was perhaps another reflection of their strong camaraderie. But how did the tennis world react to Williams’ performance, though?

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and others applaud Serena Williams’ surprise cameo at the Super Bowl LIX

Everyone inside the stadium was stunned to see Serena Williams perform at the 2025 Super Bowl. Last time, when she did a crip walk at the 2012 London Olympics, she received a major backlash from the fans. However, this time, things were different. Tennis stars came up in numbers to shower their love and admiration for this 43-year-old tennis legend. Fans saw her husband, Alexis Ohanian, highlighting the moment with a social media post, and he captioned it by saying, “Super Halftime Show.“

Even big sister Venus Williams commented on her post saying, “You did that!!! 💙✨ @serenawilliams” Later on, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka dropped their reactions on the same. Osaka looked to be in sheer disbelief! Reacting to Serena Williams’ performance she tweeted. “Oh nooooo 😭😭😭,” while Coco Gauff said, “Serena is the 🐐! icon doing iconic things.”

On the men’s side, we saw Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz reacting to tennis legend Serena Williams’ performance at the Super Bowl half-time show in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Serb shared that epic moment on his IG stories with the caption, “Yeahhhhh 🤩🙌😍.” While Alcaraz also reposted that video clip of Serena Williams on his IG stories with the caption, “Just epic ✨🔥.“

We saw tennis stars and even renowned personalities from different sports react to Williams’ performance at the Super Bowl, but what are your reactions to the same? Share your thoughts in the comment box.