27 December 2019

Rapper Drake reveals legendary tennis player Serena Williams was inspiration for 'Back 2 Back' superhit track

Rap star Drake has hailed tennis royalty, 23-time Grand slam singles champion Serena Williams, as the inspiration for his hit track 'Back 2 Back'.

Speaking on the ‘Rap Radar Podcast’, Drake, 33, said the tennis star told him to just 'finish it' when he told her he was working on the beat. She also said he needed to make it something with longevity that the public can't ignore and will keep coming back to listen to.

He described this as a 'battery' that fuelled him to finish the track which was subsequently nominated for the best rap performance at the Grammy's and earned a spot on the Billboard Top 100.

This is not the first time Drake has related his music to the tennis legend, having name-dropped her in his track 'Worst Behaviour' in 2013.

The pair also have history off the court. Their 'relationship' caused a feud between Drake and Serena's ex, Common. The tennis star and rapper were also photograped kissing in a Cincinnati restaurant in 2015.

Serena is now married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian with whom she has a daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

Aside from being the inspiration for rap songs, Serena will now be focussing on January's Australian Open where she will bid to win a historic 24th Grand Slam title.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox