Serena Williams Covers Harper’s Bazaar ‘Unretouched’ Edition In Her Own Words

Serena Williams is always at the top of her game, both on and off the tennis court.

Not only is she currently killing it at Wimbledon, but she also just posed for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in unretouched photos.

She was captured wearing a glittery golden Ralph Lauren cape — with nothing else on underneath. We can more or less say, she channelled her ‘Jennifer Lopez’ in this shoot as the singer has rocked something similar for InStyle Magazine’s December Issue.

Serena Williams For Harper’s Bazaar | PHOTO BY ALEXI LUBOMIRSKI; RALPH LAUREN COLLECTION CAPE; BULGARI BRACELET; CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SANDALS; WILLIAMS’S OWN ANKLET.

In the Harper’s cover story,  which Williams wrote herself, she discussed the “excruciating” 2018 U.S. Open match, during which she lost to then-20-year-old Naomi Osaka and called out the organization for sexism after she was accused of cheating. She was later fined for verbally abusing the umpire, for receiving a warning about coaching, and for breaking a racket.

“This debacle ruined something that should have been amazing and historic,” she wrote in her essay for the August issue. “Not only was a game taken from me but a defining, triumphant moment was taken from another player, something she should remember as one of the happiest memories in her long and successful career.”

She added that she later wrote a note telling Osaka that she was “truly sorry,” and “had no idea the media would pit us against each other.”

Serena Williams For Haper’s Bazaar August 2019 Issue

Williams also shared a response from Osaka that left her in tears: “People can misunderstand anger for strength because they can’t differentiate between the two. No one has stood up for themselves the way you have and you need to continue trailblazing.”

The incident, she said, “exemplified how thousands of women in every area of the workforce are treated every day,” and inspired her to continue to speak up for change.

“In short, it’s never been easy,” she wrote. “But then I think of the next girl who is going to come along who looks like me, and I hope, ‘Maybe, just maybe, my voice will help her.'”