Serena Williams wows in classic dress... as Ex gives his blessing for her romance with Drake

Serena Williams may be a superstar tennis ace, but her ex Common recently proved he's a good sport.

The 43-year-old Oscar winning rapper recently gave his blessing and well wishes for his former beloved's rekindled romance with frenemy Drake.

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old athlete showed off her killer curves and looked stunning in a little black dress at the Taste of Tennis Gala in New York City on Thursday.

Superstar style: Serena Williams attended the Taste of Tennis Gala in New York City on Thursday

Earlier this week on Sunday, Serena and Drake were pictured affectionately kissing at Sotto restaurant in downtown Cincinnati, sparking rumours of a new relationship.

Although neither A-lister has yet to confirm or deny the PDA-packed photos, the decorated tennis player received kind words from her ex-boyfriend Common.

'Serena is a friend of mine, as long as she's happy I'm good,' the Selma star told TMZ on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

'You know, that's my friend. We dated, but that was done a long time ago now we just friends. She's doing super good on the tennis, she's incredible. Long as she's happy, I'm good.'

'Serena is a friend of mine, as long as she's happy I'm good': Ex-boyfriend Common shared kind words about Williams' new romance with Drake recently (pictured in April 2010)

Back together? The pair dated briefly in 2011 but have been hanging out more often as of late pictured here in London together in July

Rekindled: Serena and Drake were pictured affectionately kissing at Sotto restaurant in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday

Common and Serena dated on and off from 2008 to 2010. After their split, Williams briefly dated Drake in 2011.

During that same time, it was rumoured that Common and Drake had a feud because of their affections for Serena, sparking war of words with respective songs and even engaging in a fist fight at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

In February 2015, Common appeared on The Meredith Vieira Show where he talked about getting dumped by Serena.

'It was kinda eventually a mutual thing, but she initiated it. It's OK though! We've got a great understanding, and I care about her as a person,' he said.

Eye-catching: The 33-year-old athlete showed off her killer curves and looked stunning in a slimming LBD

Also at the event: Bachelorette alum Andi Dorfman was in attendance

Family affair: Venus Williams supported her sister at the sporty soiree

Aces: Eugenie Bouchard and Andrea Hlavackova showed off their toned legs in mini dresses

'Most of the women that I've dealt with, I care about, so we can keep that friendship. You still have that respect and have love for them and still want to see them do well.'

However, the clear winner is Serena. The recent Wimbledon champion had a beaming smile on her face at a recent NYC event celebrating tennis and food.

She showcased her enviable figure in a sleeveless knee-length dress which she styled with a pair of black and white sneakers.

Joining her at the soiree was sister Venus Williams and fellow tennis stars Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Andrea Hlavackova, Eugenie Bouchard and Victoria Azarenka.

Food festival: Marc Murphy showed some of the ladies how to cook a gourmet meal

Showing some skin: Andi highlighted her slender figure in a skimpy halter-neck dress and tasselled sandals

Stylish: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Victoria Azarenka swapped their tennis apparel for flashy ensembles