As I mentioned in this weekend’s Serena Williams post, Beyonce and Jay-Z came out for Serena’s final, and Queen B watched as Queen Serena won her 22nd Grand Slam. Bey and Serena are friends, and Serena even appeared in Beyonce’s Lemonade HBO special. It makes sense that two high-achieving women (the same age!) would be friends. But some are wondering if Beyonce really understands tennis. Like, sure, Beyonce will go see Serena play. But does Beyonce understand the game at all? That’s the question after this video went viral:
Beyoncé didn't even know when the game was over 😂😂😂https://t.co/sYUDEElk1m
— SUMMÉR (@Beyupdates_) July 9, 2016
Everyone’s talking about Beyonce’s delayed reaction, like Beyonce didn’t know that Serena had won until seconds after everyone else stood up and cheered. My take is a little bit different. I think Beyonce was caught up in the last point and before she really registered that Serena won, she was watching Serena to see what she was going to do next. Remember, after Serena came up the net to spike the ball, Serena dropped her racquet and fell back in relief on the court. I kind of think Beyonce was just watching her friend’s reaction to winning.
Meanwhile, Beyonce and Jay-Z are the highest-paid celebrity couple in the world according to Forbes. Bey & Jay made $107.5 million in the past year, and it’s pretty evenly divided – she made $54 million, he made $53.5 million. Bey’s earnings – like most singer/performers – were boosted by her successful touring schedule.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Getty.
I doubt she understands a thing about tennis. She was there to be seen and to support her friend.
Come on. If she wanted to be seen, she would show up to every grand slam final (preferably male) like the raft of white status craving celebrities we see at those events. She turned up to her friends final in the country she happens to be touring in at the moment.
Also, they sat in the players box which implies they didnt have tickets and this was a last minute decision. They wouldnt have bothered if Serena wasnt playing.
She has no clue about tennis and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re there to support your friend that’s what counts. Milos parents flew in for his final, they honestly say they don’t know much about tennis but support their son. Get a grip people.
If anything her outfit was hideous. So not into toe less booties n that top, gosh its too Kim n u know she’s better than that slag
I do the same thing with my granddaughter and hockey. Don’t like or understand hockey, but I sure can root for her when she saves a goal!
Yeah. I think she was just there to make an appearance and cheer on Serena. I don’t know anything about tennis but I think Serena is fabulous badassness. I’m also a a big fan of Bey. The video is funny! But yeah, I don’t think understanding tennis is super necessary to watch it and grasp the basic idea. The thrill level is on par with TV golf for me. Which is to say, none. It’s pretty boring to watch a lot of the time. I don’t blame her for tuning out.
It actually looks like she throws her fist in the air, and takes something off of her lap before standing up. I ALWAYS hold things on my lap. I get this.
She totally throw her right fist up in the air before she stands up. This is troll level reaching.
Thank you for being a voice of reason. I’ve been thinking the same thing ever since I first saw the video yesterday. But “Beyonce went to see her friend play tennis and had to take things off her lap before standing up to cheer her win.” isn’t as interesting as this stupid “story” making the rounds.
Thank you! She fist pumps then puts what I’m guessing is her purse aside then stands up and claps. You know I have never been a big fan of Beyonce but seriously, questioning if she understands tennis?
Hope nobody sprained anything with all that reaching.
Exactly, who cares. Do all these celebs really care that much about tennis?
first time i’ve ever identified with beyonce. i’ve never really learned the rules to it and i’m bored to tears when i’m at someone’s house and that’s what’s on the tv.
Golf is the worst. It’s seriously the most boring game ever, on TV or off.
Oh my God, yes. Golf is torture.
Yep. I always figure if I end up going to hell for some reason I’ll be forced to play/watch golf for all of eternity. Ugh. Just – SO BORING! Plus – the odds are AWFUL! Have to whack that teeny tiny ball into a teeny tiny hole (that you can’t even see) over acres and acres of grass! Yikes.
Those two women are greatness.
Yes!
Are you a cop? I spoke to a few today. They said they’d be offended by Beyonce’s blatant about-face after the ambush by a deranged terrorist sniper. They’re not in the least offended because she’s utterly worthless in their opinion, except for aging pop tart eye candy.
If you say so….
But hey, ditto. I think those of them that kill young black men for no apparent reason that we can deduce are ‘utterly worthless’ too.
Your words, not mine….
I feel so insulted. Of course I’m not a cop. A US cop at that. Hell no
You need Jesus and several seats. Run along now.
Tennis is a pretty confusing game scoring wise and I say that as someone who has watched their whole life. I think she was just there to support her friend .
Everybody who was there is a tennis expert?
It’s the Wimbledon grand slam final – so, yeah.
That’s nonsense my aunt went to the Superbowl because she was given a free ticket by her boss.She doesn’t know anything about football.Often people who go to Finals know even less about the sport because they get free tickets from corporate sponsors.
I think it doesn’t matter what Beyoncé knows or doesn’t know, whether she’s an intellectual or no, whether she’s full of nothing or no. The woman is on top of the world, she’s layered in people that project her image for her — she could just be a puppet automaton for all we know yet we still throw money, media and all the adoration in the world at her; what does it matter if she knows tennis or not.
Brava @annaloo
Well said
I don’t know… every time Beyoncé is criticized for being unintelligent, I look for examples of powerful white stars who get the same type and level of scrutiny. And fall depressingly short.
Tennis is such a simple sport that it seems exceptionally cruel to question her understanding of it.
ETA: okay, so I guess the scoring isn’t simple. Maybe she really didn’t know Serena won. But I never know when to cheer in football or baseball, so who cares.
Yeah the 45 points seem daunting but then you learn its 15, 30, 45, then game
Actually it is Love (0), 15, 30, 40, then game. But if it’s tied 40 all (deuce) then you go to “Ad in” or “Ad out” for the next point. If you watch it on tv they make it easier by saying “match point” before the serve so you know that a player can win the match on that play…
So it can be confusing to those who don’t play – and I wouldn’t judge anyone who doesn’t know the rules. That would be like expecting people to know rugby rules or cricket rules or such. I know quite a few people who have never picked up a tennis racquet in their life.
and that’s why you don’t learn tennis from Mario Tennis haha
Honestly, my reaction to Serena winning was bigger and more immediate than anyone’s in the player’s box! I was jumping all over the house, as was the rest of my family. Is that to somehow suggest I was happier in that moment or understand the game better than Oracene? So, yeah.
–TheRealPinky
The few interviews I’ve seen of her, she comes across as intelligent. But those same interviews will also have people commentating on her lack of intelligence. The one I’m thinking of was where she was being interviewed along with two other women for some kind of foundation. People were ripping her to shreds, but I never could see what they saw.
Kim Kardashian and her sisters are the most vacant women in the business. Numerous people have said Gwen Stefani isn’t a bright light either.
Also, let’s not forget that whether or not you agree with her politics and agenda, Michelle Obama is one of the two most important and influential female political stars in the world and is widely known to be incredibly intelligent, if not brilliant.
Kristen Stewart. Jennifer Aniston. Blake Lively. Katy Perry. Jessica Simpson. Paris Hilton.
Britney Spears, Megan Fox, Lindsay Lohan, Tara Reid.
I learned the rules from Mario Tennis.
Is this where the press is right now. Questioning a delayed reaction. Good grief.
yup. All this over a “delayed reaction” of a couple of seconds to boot.
I’m no Beypologist but seriously folks, nothing to see here.
@Tiffany It’s celebrity gossip. There are stories about celebrities getting coffee. This is 1 of a million non stories about a celebrity.
Indeed..OK it’s celebrity gossip but there’s really more interesting gossip than this. Some people take more time to react, she’s not exactly the effusive type anyway. Good that she was there to support her friend.
Nothing to see here
The video is hilarious and embarrassing 🙊🙊 I l love Bey but you can’t be all in one. She doesn’t understated a thing about tennis and thats ok. But she should defenitly have Googled Tennis rules before showing up.
Why? Why can’t she just be there for her friend?
Honestly, what does it matter either way? It seems such a petty thing to even debate.
It does seem petty. The internet as usual has gone crazy. And if anyone ever watched me watch football they would know I don’t exactly get most of it. And really who gives rat’s ass?
Yeah, no judgment. All respect to the players and their accomplishments. I’m also fully aware that the Williams sisters have transcended the sport to become among the greatest althletes in any sport. Even so…tennis bores the life out of me. I have no idea about the scoring and I don’t care.
Tennis is SUPER fast these days, and it’s a lot different when you’re watching it live than at home because you don’t have the commentator describing the points. The score is also up on a board, not directly on the screen in front of you.
If you’re not used to watching live, it can take a little to get used to it.
It’s also possible that Beyonce simply didn’t hear the call, so she wasn’t sure if Serena had gotten it or not.
A person can’t even support their friend without getting judged. I may wish I could have some of that fu money, but I sure don’t envy getting watched under a microscope. Oh so petty…..
I don’t know Tennis rules either. I was at Buffalo Wild Wings watching Serena and her sister play two weeks ago? and I had a hard time trying to figure out who was winning. That doesn’t mean I can’t still root for who I want to and go to a game to support them. Bey probably doesn’t know tennis. Why would she? That’s not anything to rip on.
Oh geez. Who cares!
She was there to support her friend and that’s all that matters.
Agreed!
this is beyond petty. i enjoy many sports where i don’t have expert knowledge. i admire the passion of the athletes and the fans. it can be fun without knowing all the rules. i will be forever Beyonce since Lemonade.
I agree that she was probably focused on Serena’s moves, but even if she doesn’t get it that much, does it really matter? She was supporting her friend.
I doubt she understands but I’m sure half the celebrities that go don’t understand what’s going on. I played tennis for many years when I was younger and I honestly don’t know where I would have picked up the rules otherwise. It’s simply not that popular in the US.
I think it’s kind of sweet that she went to support Serena.
Slow news week? Boring stories out of Wimbledon. Wimbledon = boring.
I’m frankly surprised the Wimbledon stuffed shirts don’t make all attendees sit an exam before they’re permitted entry. Such a backwards, embarrassing tournament. Roland Garros and the Aus Open are much better organized and more fun to attend.
Bey has never cared for sports. You should watch her at one of those basketball games Jay keeps taking her to. But she supported her friend (who showed up in her video) and she did it in Bey style. Who the f-k cares whether she’s a tennis fan? Bey was at Wimbledon to witness Serena Williams, athlete of her generation, equal a world record. That’s the story.
Well I think beyonce is pretty dim. She is not a very bright girl. I think she just has no idea how tennis works.
She’s smart in a lot of ways! Not necessarily every way though , most people aren’t anyways . I don’t know how football works and I don’t care. I went to tennis camp once and it’s not very conplicated. But I’d rather have beyonces skills than know how tennis works:P
There’s a great many things I’m not familiar with, Margo S. Do you know everything? I am not a fan of Bey, but to call someone dim because they don’t know the rules of one sport is low and possibly hypocritical. Do you know how all sports work?
I don’t even think the reaction seemed delayed, people will pick about anything. She stood up late bc she was putting whatever was in her lap aside.
I think when you see your friend on court drop to the ground in tears and the entire stadium erupt as the umpire calls “Game, set and match Ms. Williams” you can pretty much figure out what’s going on.
I just think Serena’s mother, who was sitting right in front of Beyonce, stood up immediately and blocked both Jay Z and Beyonce from the cameras.
I love Serena’s mother!!!! Just look at her beaming face…..that’s just pure joy. She doesn’t get as much credit as the father but she was just as instrumental in raising two champions.
She pumped her fist in the air and said “Yes!” as soon as the point was over. She just stood up a bit later than everyone else; it looked to me like she had a purse on her lap and was setting it down before she stood up. Pretty ridiculous to insinuate she didn’t understand that Serena had won. And even if she doesn’t really understand tennis, so what? She was there to support her friend.
Just to be clear, that shot came a second after Serena had fallen to ground in joy after winning and she had been announced the winner. You don’t need to know about scoring to realize that when the player stops playing and is instead rolling around on the ground ecstatically, that’s a pretty clear sign they’ve won.
Beyonce pretty clearly knows absolutely nothing about tennis, which is fine, but we don’t have to pretend tennis is some deeply complex sport you have to be an expert on to recognize the signs that a match is over. It’s pretty much the easiest to figure out, there’s only two people to watch and it’s basically narrated all the way through.
If she came to a tennis match and watched without knowing the rules or even liking tennis, she must really care about Serena, because I can’t image she had much fun.
I’d say Beyonce wouldn’t do this but after hearing that story of how she allowed her mom to design her dress, I am getting the feeling the Bey is a real nice person.
Tennis is simple to understand. And even if you arrived at the match not knowing anything, by the time the last set is being played you should have caught on to the scoring because the crowd’s reactions help.
As for Beyonce. She is not the brightest crayon and that’s okay, but I’m going to have to shade her here. Y’all can make excuses for her, but this is funny as hell. Her vacant expression sells her out.
I found to be cute, lol. I’m all for her supporting her friend, I do the same (and have no idea what’s actually going on)