Toronto rapper Drake cheers on top-seeded Serena Williams at Rogers Cup

TORONTO – Tennis superstar Serena Williams has been a crowd favourite at the Rogers Cup this week. She has also had the support of one of Toronto’s most famous entertainers.

Local rapper Drake has been on hand at Aviva Centre this week to cheer on his longtime friend, who advanced to the semifinals Friday night with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Italy’s Roberta Vinci.

“Yeah, it’s cool. We’ve been friends for so many years,” Williams said. “So I don’t think about it anymore. He’s just like a normal person to me. Yeah, but you know, he’s super nice and super sweet, a super amazing person.”

Drake is a big basketball fan and serves as the global ambassador for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. But Williams said he can also hold his own on the tennis court.

“We actually hit several times, he’s really a good player. He said he played tennis when he was younger. I thought, really, of all sports? So he’s always kind of been into tennis … he says he can take me lefty, which gets me charged up,” she said with a laugh.

The world No. 1 was also asked if she would be a better rapper than Drake would be a tennis player.

“That’s a good question because tennis takes a lot of years of skill and of, you know, practice,” she said. “And I’m not saying rap doesn’t, but I don’t know. Rap, you gotta like think off the spot and do all this other stuff. So I don’t know.

“Let’s just say I’m doing the right thing and I think he’s doing the right thing.”

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