The Game thinks Serena Williams is an AMAZING rapper and if she decides to drop an album, it's sure to sell big ... this according to the man himself.

Game tells TMZ ... after he heard Serena's rap for the first time, he knew that she definitely had "raw skills" and was a "really talented artist."

Game says he wasn't that surprised ... considering the tennis champ's Compton roots. He tells us "You shouldn’t expect her to come with anything less than the official rap bars," then added "I can see her doing big things."

Kind of like winning 2 Olympic gold medals, 3 US opens and 4 Wimbledon championships. 

Forget tennis, Serena Williams got a new sport ... the rap game -- and she's making her debut with a brand new song that's actually pretty catchy.

TMZ broke the story ... Serena laid down some tracks last year at a Florida record studio called B Major Music Group -- owned by Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, who's good friends with the Williams sisters.

Now, one of the tracks has finally surfaced -- and it ain't half bad.

The lyrics are a little cliché -- shocker, another song about "balling hard" -- but her flow is surprisingly not annoying. She even gives her sister Venus a little shoutout.

Take a listen. Or don't. It's Friday. Do what you want.

Serena Williams took on Madonna this weekend ... not on the court (because she would smash Madge's face in) .... but at a Karaoke bar in Milan, where she belted out "Like a Prayer" ... like a CHAMP!

Serena and her sister Venus were in the country for an exhibition tennis match -- but Saturday night, the two partied their well-endowed asses off ... singing and dancing like maniacs.

The next day ... Venus suffered a wardrobe malfunction during a match with an Italian player ... but managed to cover up before anything got loose.  

Serena Williams went into total lockdown last week -- fleeing to a panic room inside her L.A. mansion after security cameras picked up a suspected intruder ... but it was all a case of mistaken identity.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Serena's assistant called 911 around 6AM last Wednesday, reporting a possible burglar or prowler. It was so serious, we're told Serena retreated to her panic room for safe keeping in case things got dangerous.

But we're told, it was a false alarm -- the person on Serena's security camera was a random drug tester for an unspecified tennis association, stopping by Serena's pad unannounced for some pee.

Police rushed to the scene after the 911 call, but quickly figured out the mistake. It's unclear if Serena eventually submitted to a pee test. Attempts to reach her reps were unsuccessful.

Serena Williams is telling friends ... she's sorry about her outburst during the women's final at the US Open yesterday -- when she berated a referee for penalizing her at a crucial point in the match.

Sources extremely close to Serena tell TMZ ... the tennis star feels like she got lost in the heat of the moment -- and simply believes her emotions got the better of her.

Serena was fined $2,000 for the outburst -- but sources tell us, the tennis star is less concerned about the money than she is about getting her game back on track.

Calls to Serena's rep weren't returned.

Serena Williams has been cited for verbally abusing the ref during her U.S. Open match Sunday.

Now the US Open referee is investigating Serena Williams for her outburst -- and, worst case scenario, she could be banned from future tournaments.

Serena -- who lost against Samantha Stosur in straight sets -- flew off the handle during the match ... blasting the ref over a call, shouting, "If you ever see me walking down the hall, look the other way because you're out of control. You're a hater and you're unattractive inside. Who would do such a thing? Wow."

The referee will pass along the findings of the investigation to the Tournament Grand Slam Committee, which will decide what discipline, if any, is appropriate.

It's interesting ... Serena's outburst pales in comparison to tennis legend John McEnroe.  True enough, McEnroe has been fined and suspended for his outbursts, but they almost seem on another level.
 


11:54 AM: US Open referee Brian Earley just fined Serena $2,000 for the outburst -- but that's a drop in the bucket ... because she earned a grand total of $1.4 MILLION during the tournament.

According to the US Tennis Association, "Williams' conduct ... does not rise to the level of a major offense."

Minnesota Vikings stud Bryant McKinnie is all set for the new NFL season to start -- telling TMZ he's kept himself in tip-top shape during the lockout by training with Venus and Serena Williams!




McKinnie -- who's listed at 6'8" and 335 lbs -- tells us his friends Venus and Serena have been putting him through some high-intensity tennis drills at a private facility in Florida to help his balance and footwork.

Bryant -- a Pro Bowl offensive lineman -- says the sisters focused on quick lateral movement ... as well as improving acceleration backwards and forwards from a dead stop.

McKinnie says the workouts were difficult ... but the Williams' were very patient with him and he feels it'll all pay off on the field.

And now that the lockout is finally over -- thank god -- we'll actually get a chance to see for ourselves.

Wearing a mismatched black and pink bikini, tennis diva Serena Williams cooled her rock hard body in the waters off South Beach this weekend.




The buff 29-year-old brickhouse does not need a lifeguard.

Tennis great Serena Williams went to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida yesterday to visit her good friend Sean Kingston ... who's still recovering from a devastating jet skiing accident this weekend.


Clearly affected by the incident, Serena went to her Twitter page and posted, "I am thankful that I have today. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. I'm gonna make every day the best I can. #loveuSeankingston."

A man accused of stalking tennis legend Serena Williams  -- who somehow got into her dressing room at the Home Shopping Network -- was arrested this morning in Florida ... TMZ has confirmed.


According to the police report, 40-year-old Patenema Ouedraogo was stopped by private security near Serena's home in Palm Beach Gardens ... who then held him in handcuffs until cops arrived.

Patenema is accused of trying to make contact with Serena several times ... tracking her across the country from L.A. to Florida with clues from Serena's Twitter account.

When Patenema was arrested, cops found a letter he wrote to Tyrese Gibson, saying, "If by any means you can help or arrange any meeting with my dream soul mate, I'd like to confess to you that Serena Williams is the one I would do anything to meet and let her know."

Patenema is still in custody, being held on $25,000 bond.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams doubles as a fashion designer, spokeswoman, and part owner of the Miami Dolphins -- but now TMZ has learned she's adding RAPPER to her resumé.



We're told Serena hit the studio last week to lay down a few tracks ... and is working with a record label owned by Minnesota Vikings star Bryant McKinnie.

During the session, we're told Serena did some work with renowned hip-hip producer DJ Clue ... and she wasn't half-bad.

Is there anything she isn't good at?