“Growing up in London, Wimbledon felt almost sacred,” New York-based stylist and creative consultant Amanda Murray tells British Vogue. “It is one of the only sporting events that isn’t eclipsed by football [and] when Venus and Serena were playing, you knew. Especially because of their style, and specifically their hairstyles.” While London has a large African diaspora, cornrows and beads were rarely, if ever, seen during the tournament. “Wimbledon is steeped in formality, so when Venus and Serena arrived onto those courts, it felt like they were rewriting the traditions of what Wimbledon looked and felt like,” Murray adds. “It was incredibly powerful. They weren’t just changing tennis, they were expanding the culture of the sport and our idea of who could belong in those spaces.”
From the start of their professional careers, their play was electric and their dominance was extraordinary. To their 14-0 doubles record, Venus added seven singles titles and Serena a staggering 23. And rather than conform to tennis’s traditional uniform of white separates, pleated skirts and shapeless dresses, they brought a vibrant, style-forward flair to their game – bridging the worlds of sports and fashion like never before.
An account of all their on-court fashion highlights would result in an endless scroll, but let’s revisit a few: at the 2002 US Open, Serena hit the court in an all-black faux leather catsuit, which garnered as much attention as her finals triumph over her sister. Two years later, she returned to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with a wardrobe that included a studded denim miniskirt and Nike gladiator boots. Around the same time, Venus was often on the court in colour-blocked kits featuring V-neck polos and matching micro shorts.
Not even Wimbledon’s all-white dress code could keep the Williams sisters from serving their personal style. In 2008, Serena warmed up in a crisp white trench coat; in 2010, Venus played while draped in a flouncy white lace romper accented with a gold zipper and belt. It was one of many pieces Venus has sported over the years from her own brand, EleVen by Venus Williams. The label launched in 2007 – the same year Venus earned an associate’s degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
