Serena Williams nearly falls during Olympic flame ceremony at Paris 2024

Retired tennis star Serena Williams stumbles on flame-carrying boat, saved by Nadia Comăneci.

Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams was the center of attention at the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite not competing. 

Her illustrious tennis career made her the ideal choice to carry the Olympic flame alongside fellow gold medalists Rafael Nadal, Nadia Elena Comăneci, and Carl Lewis. 

During the traditional cauldron lighting ceremony, they traveled down the Seine on an Olympic flame-carrying boat. 

The boat's rockiness affected the athletes, especially Serena, who almost fell forward while waving to fans. 

Thankfully, Nadia quickly grabbed her arm, preventing a fall. 

Serena wobbled again moments later, relying on Nadia for support.

Social media buzzed with reactions to Serena’s incident. 

“She [Serena] sea sick?? or drunk?!” one person asked on X, formerly Twitter. 

Another commented, “She [Serena] looks like she might be a little sea sick…” 

A third user noted, "Serena Williams almost falling into the River Seine during the Olympics Opening Ceremony but the GOAT pulling off an all-time recovery." 

Meanwhile, Serena's husband, Alexis Ohanian, made headlines as a commentator referred to him as her “umbrella holder” during a rainy red carpet moment, sparking viral discussions on social media.