Even if you don't follow tennis at all, you probably know that Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have a longstanding feud.
(Some have called this feud a "rivalry," but as far as actual talent goes they're nothing close to rivals — Sharapova has not beat Williams since 2004.)
Both athletes have said shady things about one another over the years, but Sharapova in particular loves to take shots at the GOAT. In 2017, she released a memoir that focused intensely on Williams, at one point claiming that Serena hates her for being "skinny":
I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon.
She also wrote about being scared of Serena, noting that her body is "intimidating":
First of all, her physical presence is much stronger and bigger than you realize watching TV, She has thick arms and thick legs and is so intimidating and strong. And tall, really tall.
This is a particularly odd passage because Serena Williams is actually five inches shorter than Sharapova.
Basically, Maria talks a lot of smack about Serena, often playing up racist stereotypes and painting herself as a victim in order to justify her losses. It is, frankly, gross.
One last important detail to know before we get into the thing you clicked on this damn article for: Maria got a two-year ban from tennis in 2016 after she was caught using performance-enhancing drugs.
Okay. SO. All of this brings us to yesterday, when the two athletes faced off at the US Open — their first match against each other in over three years.
Serena Williams' husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, was in the audience. And when he arrived, he was wearing a simple black jacket, buttoned up. Nothing to see here!
But at some point in the match, Alexis opened up his jacket to reveal...a D.A.R.E. shirt underneath.
the second drag of the serena-sharapova match happened off the court, with @alexisohanian in a d.a.r.e shirt. 😩 if you know, you know. #USOpen
You know...like "D.A.R.E. to keep kids off drugs," the famous drug education program that seemingly every child of the '90s was put through.
People on Twitter are kinda obsessed with the subtle drag.
I’d like to report a murder 😂 @alexisohanian #renasarmy #usopen
They love how hilariously petty it is.
Alexis Ohanian showing up to the match between Serena & Maria Sharapova in a D.A.R.E t shirt is the type of solidarity in pettiness I need from my partner.
And Alexis is getting heavily praised for his supportive husband skills.
Alexis Ohanian is a fucking husband okay. OKAY!?
As for the match between Williams and Sharapova? Serena won in two sets with a score of 6-1, 6-1 — her 19th consecutive victory against Maria since 2004.
