Celebrity
Beyoncé Celebrates Serena Williams' Career In A Short Film Ahead Of Her Retirement
“When the world writes her down in history, we’ll begin where she started — at love.”
Six years after her last studio album, Beyoncé finally released Renaissance — and about ten other projects to remind us, officially, that it’s the summer of Queen Bey. From her EP of “BREAK MY SOUL” remixes to her emotional collab with The Isley Brothers, there’s been no shortage of Beyoncé music to enjoy.
Then, on Aug. 29, Beyoncé dropped her latest project — but this time, it’s not more music. The “COZY” singer actually narrated a Gatorade short film about Serena Williams called Love Means Everything, which celebrates the tennis champion’s legacy ahead of her final tournament before retiring.
“When the world writes her down in history, we’ll begin where she started — at love,” Beyoncé begins, her voice playing as a young tennis player watches Williams on TV. That theme of love (a nod to the tennis scoring system) continues throughout the short film, which features footage of Williams interspersed with other female athletes. There’s also a pretty iconic throne made out of pink tennis balls in there, too.
“It’s a love that we’ll remember through the generations,” Beyoncé continues. “A love that started a movement. A movement to always love exactly who you are. And who you can be. To be so in love with your identity that your very essence cannot be contained ... To cherish every muscle and every curve your body exhibits. A movement to always love being a proud Black woman.”
The Love film was directed by Jake Nava, who’s actually a frequent collaborator of Beyoncé’s — teaming up with her on several music videos, including the unforgettable “Single Ladies.” It dropped as Williams took on her first day at the U.S. Open, which will be her last tournament before retiring. “I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment,” Williams wrote for Vogue earlier in August, when announcing her decision. “I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst. But please know that I am more grateful for you than I can ever express in words.”
Beyoncé’s video tribute to Williams was only the latest entry in their personal and professional friendship timeline. Last year, Beyoncé penned “Be Alive” for King Richard, the movie about the Williams sisters’ earliest days in tennis — then, performed the Oscar-nominated song at the Academy Awards this March.
Back in 2016, Williams starred in Beyoncé’s “Sorry” video — and the same year, thanked the “Formation” singer and her husband, Jay-Z, for their support. “It’s always wonderful to see them at tennis,” she told E!, “and it’s always good when you can just rely on someone and know that they’re always in your corner whether they are there or not and that’s kind of how it is with us.”
They’ve actually been friends for a really long time, in fact. In 2004, Beyoncé told MTV that Kelly Rowland connected her with Williams — and her doctor, who helped Beyoncé get through a hamstring injury.
