New paparazzi shots of Serena Williams and musician Drake have fuelled rumours the pair are romantically involved.

Celebrity news website TMZ published photos on Tuesday (local time) appearing to show the pair getting up close and personal at an upmarket Cincinnati restaurant.

Drake and Serena Williams at a Cincinnati restaurant. Photo: Twitter

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The photos seemed to confirm months of conjecture, which started when the Canadian rapper was found courtside at one of Williams’ games.

The photos were snapped hours after Drake watched Williams win at the Women’s Tennis Association tournament.

The pair had a “private room” at the rear of the eatery and were unable to “keep their hands and lips off of each other”, TMZ reported.

But, according to Page Six, they are just friends.

“Serena briefly dated Drake around 2011 and even though it didn’t end that well, they have remained friends since. He has been at her side at a lot of tournaments recently, including Wimbledon in July, where he sat in her box next to her sister Venus.

“Serena is single at the moment and is focused on winning the US Open, and making history.”

The photos emerged as Williams was named the top female seed in the US Open, set to start in New York next week.