Claim:

President-elect Donald Trump once played tennis with tennis star Serena Williams.

Rating:

Context:

Trump briefly played Williams in April 2015 to mark the opening of a Trump-backed tennis facility. Multiple reputable news outlets documented the moment, publishing videos of the volley from several angles. However, the specific origin of footage in several social media posts that circulated in late 2024 was unknown.

Videos purporting to show U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and tennis champion Serena Williams playing tennis against each other circulated online in late 2024. 

For example, on Nov. 14, an X user shared a video (archived) supposedly showing the exchange, writing, “Donald Trump wore a full suit, took off his shoes and STILL challenged Serena Williams to a tennis match. The way he fearlessly tries new things without shame is honestly incredible.”

The videos, which also circulated on TikTok, were indeed authentic. They were not the product of digital editing, nor artificial intelligence (AI) software. The footage was captured by reputable news outlets on April 7, 2015, during an event to mark the opening of a Trump-backed tennis facility at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. (The facility remained open as of this writing.)

A variety of news media sources, including the Washington Post, local news outlets and sports journalists, recorded the moment with Williams and Trump. For example, a reporter with Washington D.C.’s NBC affiliate NBC4 documented the volley from many different angles. Most social media posts that circulated in 2024 used the same clip — though the original source of that footage was unknown.

Also, further proving the moment’s legitimacy, the official Facebook page for the Trump National Golf Club shared a video of the exchange on the day that it happened.

Photographer Molly Riley, an independent photographer based in Virginia, published a gallery of photographs from the event, including shots of Trump and Williams posing together on the court. Further, photos of the tennis facility on the Trump National Golf Club website show a location that matches the one seen in the videos. WTOP, a D.C. area radio station and website, also published photos of the event.

According to Washington D.C.’s CBS affiliate WUSA9, Trump introduced Williams at the event saying, “It is an honor to have the incredible Serena Williams join us today to officially open this magnificent building — she is a true champion and is the greatest of all time.“

Per NBC4, Williams told attendees, “This doesn’t look like your average tennis facility, and I’ve been in a lot of tennis facilities. This one is the best one I’ve ever seen.“ 

Trump announced his 2016 presidential bid a few months after the tennis facility’s opening. 

In June 2016, The Associated Press reported that Williams was not endorsing or voting for Trump, nor any other candidate, citing her religion. Williams is a Jehovah’s Witness and the religious organization’s official website says, “We do not lobby, vote for political parties or candidates, run for government office, or participate in any action to change governments.“

During Trump’s hush money trial in 2024, court documents showed Williams’ name on a list of notable people with whom Trump had frequent contact during the early days of his presidency in 2017, according to The Associated Press and Politico. (Snopes has not independently verified that reporting.)

When asked about her relationship to Trump by The New York Times in June 2024, Williams said, “I talk to a lot of presidents. I spoke to Barack, I spoke to the Clintons. I spoke to every president since I’ve been alive, including Ronald Reagan, I’ll have you know.“ When the journalist asked for more details about what presidents want to talk about, Williams replied, “I don’t know, I’m not going to go there.“

Snopes has covered a variety of claims involving Williams throughout her career, including a 2004 rumor that she allegedly said she was going to stop “dating Black guys,“ purported social media post about COVID-19 in 2020 and a rumor that stemmed from a satirical source about her supposedly forfeiting a match against a transgender athlete.

Sources:

– YouTube. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

—. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

—. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

2.7K Views · 58 Reactions | Mr. Trump vs Serena Williams at the Trump Tennis Center- Grand Opening Event! #donaldtrump #serenawilliams #tennis | By Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C. | Facebook. www.facebook.com, Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

David Marchese. “Serena Williams’s Next Challenge? The Rest of Her Life.” The New York Times, 15 June 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/15/magazine/serena-williams-interview.html.

“Donald Trump Opens New Tennis Center in Va.” Wusa9.Com, 7 Apr. 2015, https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/donald-trump-opens-new-tennis-center-in-va/65-203331554.

Raja, Ammad. “Donald Trump Opens State of the Art Tennis Facility in Sterling.” Tennis World USA, 8 Apr. 2015, https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/American_Tennis/23269/donald-trump-opens-state-of-the-art-tennis-facility-in-sterling/.

“Serena Williams Dragged into Trump Trial as Ex-Aide Reveals They ‘Frequently Spoke.'” The Independent, 9 May 2024, https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-trial-serena-williams-testimony-b2542564.html.

“Serena Williams Lays Groundwork for the next Generation of Tennis.” WTOP News, 8 Apr. 2015, https://wtop.com/tennis/2015/04/serena-williams-lays-groundwork-for-the-next-generation-of-tennis/.

“Serena Williams Won’t Vote, for Trump or Anyone Else.” AP News, 1 June 2016, https://apnews.com/general-news-9081a5ec0b424c6095471a921257ea12.

Tennis.com. “One Year Ago: Serena & Trump.” Tennis.Com, Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Trump National Washington DC | State-of-the-Art Indoor Tennis Facility. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Trump Tennis Center Grand Opening 2015 – Images | Molly Riley. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Wright • •, Kristin. “Donald Trump Opens New Tennis Center in Sterling.” NBC4 Washington, 7 Apr. 2015,