Drake and Serena Williams
Serena Williams has insisted she and Drake are just friends, despite kissing photos Getty

Drake was slammed as a jinx after tennis champion Serena Williams crashed out of the US Open in a shock defeat to unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci. But it seems that the Young Money rapper wasn't going to let even the most superstitious fans stop him from cheering on his rumoured girlfriend as she bounced back from the stumble with a successful show at New York Fashion Week.

The 28-year-old hip hop star played the role of supportive boyfriend as he sat in the front row alongside Vogue's Anna Wintour for the unveiling of the Serena Williams Signature Statement by HSN. Models Gigi Hadid and Lily Aldridge were also among the star-studded crowd.

The range, which is the athlete's second NYFW outing, featured standout pieces, leather, drapery tops and as well as lots of fringe detailing. At the end the show Williams also took the catwalk in a fringed black sexy cleavage-baring dress.

Vogue's contributing editor Andre Talley praised the multitalented 33-year-old in a post on Instagram and declared it a "smash hit collection". "Serena Williams. Show! Fabulous fringe. Who wants fringe! I have four Prada fringe full on leather coats . She was great I'm her silk fringe and black panty with towering inferno stillettos, she did a smash hit collection," he captioned a snap of models walking the runway.

Williams and Drake did little to silence the dating rumours when they shared a warm embrace backstage after the show. The former actor was also seen piling on the PDA by kissing her gently on her hand.

The power couple have been romantically linked after they were snapped during a romantic dinner date in Cincinnati on 23 August. The rumour mill went into overdrive when they were caught on camera kissing in public after what appeared to be another date night. This time the footage, which was uploaded on Instagram by a Drake fan account, @ovodrakevideos, shows the Young Money rapper kissing the tennis star outside a building before seeing her to her SUV.

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