Serena Williams Surprises Pickleball Players for Nonalcoholic Beer Campaign

(Photo: Heineken)

Tennis champion Serena Williams has signed on as the global brand ambassador for Heineken 0.0, the famed Dutch beer maker’s nonalcoholic lager. It’s the latest in a string of collaborations pairing Williams’ star power with world-famous alcohol brands — but this time, she’s taking the job to court. Pickleball court, that is.

To kick off the partnership, Williams spent a day surprising unsuspecting pickleball players in Miami. Groups of three were given a last-minute “stand-in” teammate who just happened to be a 23-time Grand Slam champion. Described as the first installment in an ongoing “Unexpected Doubles” video series, the campaign was launched in collaboration with professional league Premier Padel and the court-booking platform Playtomic.

Check out the footage below:

“For me, it’s always about showing up as my best self,” Williams said in a news release. “Partnering with Heineken 0.0 reflects the kind of intentional choices I make every day – it’s a no-alcohol option that still lets me stay active, keep moving, and connect with new people. Whether I’m on the padel court or off, I love that I don’t have to compromise.”

Celine Thom, one of the players who was surprised by Williams mid-game, says that she had a chance to sit down with the tennis star afterwards and share a beer (presumably Heineken 0.0, we’d be willing to guess).

“I booked a padel game via Open Match by Heineken 0.0 on Playtomic to meet new people and connect with other local padel players, but I never imagined that on a regular Wednesday afternoon I would be playing padel with the legendary Serena Williams!,” Thom added.

Heineken hasn’t provided too many other details about their partnership with Williams. It has, however, been described as a multi-year deal, so expect plenty of collaborations between the athlete and the brewer in the months to come.

Williams last dipped her toes into beverage advertising with back-to-back ads for Rémy Martin Cognac and Michelob ULTRA, both of which aired during the 2023 Super Bowl. On the business side, Williams is also a co-owner in Cincoro Tequila, the star-studded spirits brand backed by Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, and Dustin Johnson, among others.