Serena Williams dominated the first quarter of the Super Bowl as she appeared in two different commercials during that time.
Williams first appeared in a commercial for Rémy Martin where she recited the famous "Inch by Inch" speech given by Al Pacino in the football film, Any Given Sunday. She could be seen addressing a fractured football team as she tried to get them to work as a team.
In a second commercial, this time for Michelob Ultra, the American veteran played the role of a golfer. She teamed up with actor Brian Cox to pay homage to another movie, Caddyshack.
Many tennis fans were thrilled to see the 23-time Grand Slam champion back on their screens. One fan made a hilarious remark about Williams coming to take Naomi Osaka's place, who is known for appearing in many endorsement deals.
"These commercials make me think Serena is coming for Naomi’s bag," a fan tweeted.
Political activist Charlotte Clymer stated that she hadn't realized how much she wanted to see Williams perform Al Pacino's speech.
"I didn't know I needed to hear Serena Williams perform the locker room speech from "Any Given Sunday", but I know I love it," she wrote.
Here are some more fan reactions:
However, not all fans had positive reactions:
Serena Williams on her excitement to see Rihanna perform at Super Bowl 2023
Serena Williams, a known fan of Rihanna, was quoted saying she was looking forward to seeing the pop star perform live at the 2023 Super Bowl half-time show.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion said that she hoped Rihanna would perform 'Lift Me Up' from the film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While speaking about her love for the song, Williams revealed that the emotional tune brought tears to her eyes every time she heard it.
"I sure hope she (Rihanna) does [“Lift Me Up”]. It makes me cry every time. It’s such a good song," the American said. "I’m such a massive Rihanna fan. I just was so happy that she did that song for [Black Panther: Wakanda Forever] and I’m so happy that she is doing the Super Bowl. It’ll be really exciting."
The 41-year-old had expressed her love for the song at the time of its release as well.
"I am lifted!!!," the American great had written on Instagram at the time.
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