As Serena Williams plays in what she says will be her final tournament this week, the US Open in New York City, her good friend Beyoncé is paying homage to the tennis star by narrating a Gatorade commercial in tribute to her historic career.
“When the world writes her down in history, we’ll begin where she started: at love,” Queen Bey says, opening the ad titled “Love Means Everything.”
“To feel like a queen unapologetically, with a crown indefinitely,” Beyoncé continues. “A movement to always love being a proud Black woman, a parent, a dreamer, a leader. To love being one of a kind.”
The Renaissance singer has known the 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion for many years. Serena appeared in Beyoncé’s 2016 “Sorry” video from the Lemonade film. Williams also joined the 28-time Grammy winner as she performed the song on the Formation Tour in October 2016 at Met-Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Last year, Beyoncé recorded the Oscar-nominated song “Be Alive” for King Richard, the film about how Serena’s father, Richard Williams, developed her and sister Venus into tennis superstars.
“So when we write her down in history, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, we’ll remember what she’s shown us,” Beyoncé concludes. “A movement to love you.”
Serena appears on the cover of this week’s TIME. The magazine writes, “The greatest female athlete of all-time—check that: perhaps the greatest athlete of all-time.”
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