Serena Williams's husband hits back at Stephen A. Smith after outburst following performance at Super Bowl
WTA
Former world number one Serena Williams's husband hits back at Stephen A. Smith after his recent criticism following her appearance in the Super Bowl. The 43-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in
the history of women’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having
won as many as 23 Grand Slam titles.
Serena, who retired from the sport in 2022 to focus on her
personal life, has recently made a surprising appearance in the Super Bowl with
Drake. That move did not please ESPN presenter Smith, who went out during his
mid-time show on the channel.
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"You could say give her props. If I'm your husband, why
are you up there trolling your ex?" said Smith. "If I'm married and
my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a**. Cause clearly you
don't belong with me. What you worried about him for and you're with me? Bye.
Bye."
Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, hit Smith back in a post on social media platform X—previously known as Twitter—for those comments. He
first posted: “Pretty fantastic halftime show.” He then retweeted a post about Williams dancing on the night with the caption: “Highlight of the Super
Bowl."
Ohanian then posted a detailed message hitting back at Smith
for making such comments about his wife. "Some of y'all have no idea how
criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it
shows.... This is bigger than the music," he posted.
Ever since retiring from the sport, Serena has been active
socially. She has appeared in numerous fashion shows modelling for different brands. That’s not it, as Serena has appeared in different films and shows and even worked as an executive producer in a film, King Richard, in 2021, which was about her father.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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