They may be couple goals in many aspects, but that doesn’t mean the public hasn’t noticed strange things about Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s marriage. The tennis legend raised a major red flag at Super Bowl LIX with her crip walk during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. For many, her partnering up with Lamar amid his years-long feud with Drake had a personal meaning. That’s because Williams and Drake supposedly had a low-key fling back in the day.

Given their history, many believe the former world No. 1 was throwing shade at her ex — and that Ohanian should be worried about its implications for their marriage. However, holistic dating coaches Orna and Matthew Walters, authors of “Getting It Right This Time: Break Free from Your Hidden Blocks to Lasting Love,” disagree that taking a dig at a former lover is necessarily a red flag. “Love is messy and doesn’t stay inside the lines. It’s possible to be happy with a new relationship and still feel the pangs of rejection from a past love,” they exclusively told Nicki Swift. 

While Williams’ reported relationship with Drake happened in 2011 and maybe again in 2015 (the timeline is a bit murky), it might have overlapped with her relationship with Ohanian. Williams and the Reddit co-founder met in May 2015, a few months before she was seen kissing the Canadian rapper. Drake even seemingly dissed Williams’ husband in “Middle of the Ocean,” suggesting their rumored fling was more meaningful than it seemed. Regardless of whether Williams’ actions were justified or not, people have strong opinions about it.

Serena Williams’ Super Bowl dance caused such a stir that some even suggested Alexis Ohanian should divorce her. “If I’m married, and my wife is going to join trolling her ex — go back to his a**,” ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said on the “First Take” podcast. His co-hosts thought Smith’s reaction was over the top, and experts Orna and Matthew Walters agreed. “Dissing an ex doesn’t necessarily indicate that there are issues in the current relationship,” they told Nicki Swift.

Ohanian showed he isn’t going anywhere when he defended Williams amid the crip walk controversy, which Orna and Matthew said is a good sign. “Supporting a spouse in public is a powerful statement that the two of you are allies and that you have their back,” they told us. Williams denied she dissed Drake. But even if that’s what she unconsciously did, her actions could have a simple meaning. 

Williams and Drake’s fling reportedly didn’t end well, and the lack of closure could still be causing issues even if they don’t want to reignite the relationship. “The most common reason someone might make a dig at an ex is that they’re still harboring hurt and resentment from the breakup,” Orna and Matthew explained. It’s possible that neither Drake nor Williams have properly healed. “A healthy approach to a breakup is to first take time to mourn the relationship,” the relationship experts added.