Fact Check: Is Alabama Crimson Tide Prodigy Ryan Williams Serena Williams’ Cousin?

Ryan Williams has been the talk of the American sporting world lately, thanks to his remarkable performances at such a young age. The Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver’s recent brilliance against the Georgia Bulldogs has led to several popular personalities lauding him. Serena Williams is one such figure to react to the 17-year-old’s game-winning play.

With merely two minutes remaining in the contest, Ryan pulled off a stunning 75-yard touchdown pass. This led to the Crimson Tide taking the lead. Eventually, the Alabama side won the contest 41-34 after initially trailing 30-7 at one point.

The WTA legend took to X and revealed being in awe of the teenager’s clutch performance. While doing so, the 23-time Grand Slam winner referred to the youngster as her “cousin.”

“Honestly this is pretty impressive from my 17year old cousin ha go Cuz!” she wrote.

Taking a look at the word “cousin,” fans instantly began to wonder if the two individuals were related. However, there is no familial tie between them. They merely share the same last name.

Considering that Serena is an avid enthusiast of American Football, we can expect her to give multiple shoutouts to the youngster over the coming years. However, Ryan Williams will hope that none of these mentions come in the same form as they did for Harrison Butker.

Serena Williams trolled Harrison Butker during the 2024 ESPY awards

Earlier in May, Butker made it to the headlines for certain controversial comments that he made regarding women’s sports. Apart from criticizing LGBTQ+ issues, the NFL player also suggested that women should prioritize their families rather than pursuing professional careers.

Later, when hosting the 2024 ESPY Awards, Williams trolled multiple names, including LeBron James, Travis Kelce, and Maria Sharapova, among others. While all these individuals were caught in friendly fire, Williams’s criticism of the Kansas City Chiefs kicker was anything but friendly.

Highlighting the importance of women’s sports, Venus Williams said, “Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like any other sports because they’re sports.” Adding to it, Serena said, “Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you.” Co-presenter and actress Quinta Brunson concluded by saying, “At all. Like, ever.”

It seems like embarrassing the NFL star was a great way to teach him a lesson, as Butker has not made any problematic comments since.