A tennis dress fit for a champion.
Serena Williams won her first match of the 2022 US Open Monday night, defeating Danka Kovinic in a custom Nike outfit steeped in meaning that she “took a hands-on-approach” to designing.
“Inspired by figure skating competition apparel,” according to Nike’s press release, the look “incorporates a six-layer skirt, referencing Serena’s six prior Flushing titles.”
The jet-black, crystal-encrusted bodice, meanwhile, “alludes to the night sky at the tournament,” as did the matching cape-style jacket Williams wore to take her place on the court.
But the 23-time Grand Slam winner‘s dress wasn’t the only element of her look that sparkled.
Williams, 40, also sported custom PE NikeCourt Flare 2 sneakers with a diamond-studded Swoosh, her initials on the medial side and solid gold lace deubrés (ornamental shoelace tags) made by the athlete’s own Serena Williams Jewelry brand.
The deubrés “feature 400 hand-set diamonds in black ceramic” that spell out “Queen.”
“For her latest outfit for Flushing, Serena took control, providing the full vision and dialing the details for a thrilling design created to make her feel comfortable and confident,” Nike’s statement reads.
Williams’ 4-year-old daughter, Olympia Ohanian, even matched her mom from the sidelines in a mini version of her look, along with beaded braids just like the ones the tennis champ wore to her first US Open in 1997, when she was just 16 years old.
Next up, Williams — who announced her retirement from tennis earlier this month in Vogue, and is set to step away from the sport after the Open — will face off with Anett Koveneit on Wednesday.
We can’t wait to see what she wears for round two.
