Serena Williams opened up the ESPYs with a bang on Thursday.

The tennis star had jokes about Kendrick Lamar and Drake's beef, Jaylen Brown's beard and LeBron James' hairline while also congratulating former Iowa star and current Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark on all of her accomplishments over the past year.

Williams also made sure to touch on one of the biggest storylines in sports this year as she congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs and "Taylor Swift's boyfriend" Travis Kelce on winning a Super Bowl.

Lastly, she gave an inspiring message to young athletes, encouraging them to work hard and pursue their dreams in sports.

Williams' opening monologue was well received on social media, with fans praising her jokes to start the show.

Williams is the first athlete to host the ESPYs since Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Russell Wilson did it in 2020, and she had a strong performance considering being on a stage is far from her comfort zone of the tennis court.

Williams set the tone for the night with a slew of hilarious jokes and she'll look to continue delivering throughout the show.