To watch Serena Williams play is to witness history in the making. No other player in the history of sport has become such a globally recognised face, known simply by their first name. Having entertained audiences for decades since first stepping onto the court as a young teen, Williams has only gone on to defy all expectation and cement her status as the greatest to have ever played the game. With her athletic prowess, strength, and unmatched mental stamina, her imminent departure from the world of tennis is sure to leave a gaping hole few could ever hope to fill.
After making the decision to step away from the game after the upcoming US Open, Williams made the announcement in a column penned for Vogue in which the 40-year-old described her intention to finish her playing career as an “evolution” away from tennis, as she looks to focus on family and those things that are important to her. As she described, “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labour of expanding our family.”
It’s clear that the decision is one Williams still finds difficult to stomach and to hear the crowd as she walked out onto the court as the US Open is to understand that as fans and lovers of the game, we also aren’t quite ready to see her leave just yet either.
As the 23-time Grand Slam champion looks to add another title to her impressive resume, all eyes are on Williams and it’s safe to say we’re all rooting for her. But if there was any questioning the legacy of this woman who has not only inspired countless generations of young girls to pick up a racket, while also being a trailblazer for women in sport at large, you need only look at her outfit to see that Williams shines.
Her first US Open look saw Williams wear a custom black Nike set she designed herself. Inspired by the dresses worn by figure skaters, it featured a gem-encrusted bodice with a starry detail evoking the night sky over Arthur Ashe Stadium and a tulle skirt with six layers to symbolise her previous US Open victories. She wore NikeCourt Flare 2 sneakers that were accented by a diamond-encrusted swoosh and gold deubres laces woven with 400 hand-set diamonds in collaboration with Serena Williams jewellery.
Hairstylist Nikki Nelms was also entrusted to do Williams’ hair which was pulled back with a crystal-studded headband and featured an array of gems interwoven through her curls. After beating Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in a 6-3, 6-3 victory, Nelms wrote on Instagram, “She’s been shining her whole life…her whole career. Last night her hair did too.”
Williams will continue her campaign in the US Open in an upcoming match against Anett Kontaveit.
