Serena Williams always considered Drake a player before she hooked up with him. Now her friends and family are wondering whether the player will take down the champion.

A Williams "insider" says those close to the tennis star are worried that her relationship with the rapper could affect her quest to become the greatest female tennis player ever, hollywoodlife.com reported.

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"Her friends and family, unfortunately, aren't as trusting of Drake and worry he will just break her heart. She's on the cusp of becoming the undisputed best female tennis player in the history of the game and they don't want a broken heart at the hands of Drake derailing her," the insider told HollywoodLife.com.

"Serena and Drake have been on a slow burn for a few months now. They have known each other for years and there has always been a spark but the timing was off," the insider explained. "Drake was always saying to her, 'when are we going out?' Serena never seriously thought Drake was interested in her like that, though. He's such a player and a flirt she thought he was just playing games."

Williams, who is set to embark on completing the calendar Grand Slam when she heads to New York in two weeks to play the U.S. Open, had been linked romantically to her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, since 2013 during a war of words she had with Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon. Williams and Mouratoglou never confirmed nor denied the rumors, but they also were rumored to have broken up in March of 2014 after Serena posted a message on her Twitter account saying: "Me. Mine. Alone. Myself. I. One. Solo. Unaccompanied."

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Williams' bizarre display during a doubles match at the 2014 Wimbledon event fueled speculation of her heartbreak over their breakup. Since that moment, however, Williams has gone on to win four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments that began with the 2014 U.S. Open.

Heading into the 2015 U.S. Open, rumors of a romance with Drake could invade Williams, but that might not be a bad thing. The Drake-Serena saga could take Williams' mind off the pressure of trying to win at Arthur Ashe Stadium and become the first player to win all four major tennis titles since Steffi Graf in 1998.

Or the rumors could disrupt Williams' concentration and prevent her from making history.

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