During her nearly three-decade tennis career, Serena Williams broke barriers not only in sports, but also in fashion and activism.
Since turning professional in 1995, Williams, along with her older sister Venus Williams, has completely transformed the world of tennis, paving the way for more people of color, particularly blacks, to make a name for themselves.
Now 40, Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, winning the US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open at least six times each.
However, in recent years, Williams has been plagued by injuries, forcing her to retire or sit out some of the Grand Slam tournaments.
This week, the tennis legend revealed in an article he wrote for Vogue that he would “disappear” from the sport after the US Open.
Although he wrote that he “never liked the word retirement” and prefers to use “evolution” in terms of what lies ahead for him in the future, including the potential growth of his family and business ventures. Williams also has a sustainable clothing line called S by Serena, inspired by ’90s streetwear.
“I am here to tell you that I am moving away from tennis, towards other things that are important to me,” he wrote in the article. “A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Shortly after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family. But I have been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to stop playing tennis.”
Williams is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The two share a daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., better known as Olympia, who turns five in September.
In a caption she wrote on one of her Vogue cover Instagram posts, she wrote: “There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction. That moment is always difficult when you love something so much. My God, I like tennis. But now, the countdown has begun.”
Williams, as detailed in the sports biopic “King Richard” which was released in November, and his sister Venus Williams have been playing tennis since they were children, with their father, Richard Williams, and mother, Oracene Price, as coaches.
Venus and Serena Williams on Arthur Ashe Day at the 2004 US Open in New York City.
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The duo have pioneered the court with aggressive playing styles and flashy outfits, brightly colored and boldly patterned.
Over the years, Williams has continued to defy the typical ensembles players wear on court by wearing neon colors, leopard prints, catsuit-like silhouettes, and even a denim skirt and knee-high boots.
She became known for her catsuits, first at the 2002 US Open and then went viral at the 2018 French Open for wearing an all-black catsuit with a red belt. Although fans and the media praised her for going against the grain and using it, Bernard Giudicelli, president of the French Tennis Federation, claimed at the time that she would no longer be allowed.
Serena Williams at the 2018 French Open.
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Also, at Wimbledon, Williams pushed the boundaries of the dress code, which is strictly white. In 2010 and 2012, she wore brightly colored underpants during tournaments, something she did for good luck. (In 2010 and 2012, Williams ended up taking home the title.)
At the 2018 US Open, Williams wore some custom Off-White tennis outfits, designed by the late Virgil Abloh. Styles include a one shoulder top and a black and purple tulle tutu skirt.
At the 2021 Australian Open, she paid tribute to the late track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, by donning a long-sleeved, single-legged catsuit in bright pink and black.
Click through the gallery above to see some of Serena Williams’ best on-court tennis outfits over the years.
Source: wwd.com