Did Drake date Serena Williams? All you need to know about their relationship as the Canadian rapper calls the former World No. 1's husband "a groupie" in lyrics of new song

Rapper Drake caused quite a stir by calling Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian a groupie in the lyrics of his new song titled 'Middle of the Ocean.' The song is part of the Canadian's latest studio album with fellow rapper Savage 21, titled 'Her Loss.'

Drake's lyrics went as follows:

“Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie, He claim we don’t got a problem but no, boo it is like you comin’ for sushi, We might pop up on ’em at will like Suzuki."

Serena Williams and Drake are close friends, but there have been several rumors in the past about the two dating. However, neither individual confirmed it. It all started in 2011 when the Canadian rapper began attending her matches and also began tweeting about her.

"serena williams, I cannot wait to put it on you and make you sweat......during our match this weekend," one of Drake's tweets read.

In 2013, Drake included Serena's name in a song titled 'Worst Behaviour' from his album 'Nothing was the Same.'

"I'm with my whole set/Tennis matches at the crib/ I swear I could beat Serena when she playin' with her left," the lyrics of the song read.

The Canadian continued watching Williams' matches and was in the stands when she won Wimbledon in 2015. He was also in attendance when the American lost her US Open semifinal to Roberta Vinci that year, thus ending her chances to complete the Calendar Slam.

Drake mentioned Serena Williams at Nike Maxim Awards

Drake watching Serena Williams' US Open semifinal in 2015

Recently, Drake mentioned Serena's name while hosting the Nike Maxim Awards in Beaverton, Oregon. The Canadian rapper spoke about some of the greatest athletes to have endorsed the brand and the moment he mentioned the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, the crowd broke into roaring applause.

"When you put things into perspective, you know, Adidas has Kanye I think. Nike, we have LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis (Antekounmpou), Michael Jordan, the greatest creative mind of all time Virgil Abloh, rest in peace."

"We have Cristiano Ronaldo, we have Serena [Williams], we have Tiger (Woods), and I'm pretty sure Reebok has Tyga. Everybody let's keep it rolling for another 50 years, my name is Drake, thank you for having me," Drake said.

Serena Williams retired from tennis this season, with her last match coming against Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open. The Aussie beat her 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in three sets, following which the 23-time Grand Slam champion received a glowing farewell in front of her home fans.