Serena Williams attended the 2025 Super Bowl with her family and had planned to have her daughter Olympia get an autograph from her friend Taylor Swift. The singer was at the game, cheering on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
As the game progressed, Williams changed her mind. She explained why in a new interview with Time.
Williams had brought Olympia near Swift’s suite, ready to make the special meeting between the two happen. “I’m such a mom,” Williams said. “I was ready to go in there myself and be like, ‘Taylor, come get this girl.’”
But as Williams watched the Chiefs’ chances of winning against their opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, slip away, she realized it was better to keep her distance. (The final score was 22–40.) “It’s hard when your team is losing,” Williams said. “I totally get it.”
Still, she showed support for Swift from afar. After some people in the crowd began booing the singer as she appeared on the jumbotron, Williams posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, “I love you @taylorswift13 don't listen to those booo!!”
“Why would you boo her?” the tennis icon told Time. “That’s so mean. That’s just awful.”
Swift and Williams have had public moments before. Their first major one was a decade ago when Williams appeared as a guest on Swift’s 1989 Tour in June 2015.
In September 2024, Williams revealed her daughter Olympia is a Swiftie: “She’s not into princesses, she’s into Taylor Swift. I am too.”
One month later, Williams posted an Instagram video from one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows, captioning it, “Oh, just a casual Swiftie over here (maybe not so casual 🤷🏿♀️).”
