Serena Williams
Serena Williams, born September 26, 1981, is one of the most talented tennis players in the sport's history. Coached and led by her parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, she began her professional tennis career in 1995 alongside her older sister, Venus Williams.
During her 28-year career, Serena Williams secured 39 major titles, and is the second most decorated Glam Slam winner, with 23 wins.
Her success on the court has gotten fashion's attention, and over the years, Williams has inked endorsement deals and ambassadorships with Audemars Piguet, Stuart Weitzman and Gucci. She has been a Nike ambassador since 2003.
Williams took her relationship with Nike a step further in 2021 to create the Nike x Serena Williams Design Crew incubator program, which chose 10 emerging designers from underrepresented backgrounds to undergo a six-month apprenticeship, work with mentors and create a collection inspired by Williams.
Williams — known for her bold on-court style — also partnered with Nike on a compression catsuit that resulted in her being banned from the 2018 French Open. She returned in 2019 in a Virgil Abloh-designed Off-White black-and-white jacket. She has also collaborated with travel and lifestyle brand Away in 2021.
Williams studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale from 2000 to 2003 and launched S by Serena, her first independent clothing collection of dresses, tops and more, in 2018. In 2017, Williams also started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. She is married to Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian.
In 2023, Williams became the first athlete to receive the CFDA Fashion Icon Award.
Serena Williams
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