Serena Williams was warmly welcomed as she hosted the ESPYs, where she playfully targeted Drake, Travis Kelce, and Shohei Ohtani during her lively six-minute monologue. The tennis legend, recently retired at 42, donned a black dress for her debut as host at the Dolby Theater, with close friend Meghan Markle in the front row.

Williams kicked off by teasing Drake amidst ongoing tensions with Kendrick Lamar, joking, “If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s to never pick a figҺt with Kendrick Lamar—especially if you’re sitting courtside at a Raptors game; they might treat you like Forrest Gump.”

Explaining her choice to host the ESPYs, Williams quipped, “Why am I doing this? Well, any chance to wear 16 outfits in three hours, count me in.”

Turning to sports, Williams humorously acknowledged Travis Kelce as “Taylor Swift’s boyfriend,” congratulating him and Patrick Mahomes on their Sᴜper Bowl win. She also poked fun at salary disparities in sports, highlighting Shohei Ohtani’s obliviousness to losing $16 million, contrasting it with the gender pay gap.

Williams gave a shoutout to Caitlin Clark for her standout performance in wоmen’s sports, humorously noting, “You’re like Larry Bird—you’re an amazing player with Indiana ties, and apparently, white people really love you.”

Wrapping up, Williams acknowledged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s presence, joking, “Let’s hear it for Prince Harry and Meghan. But Harry and Meghan, please try not to breathe too much tonight; this is my night, and I don’t want accusations of you two taking up all the oxygen.