Tennis legend Serena Williams has been honoured with the title of “fashion icon” by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
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The award was presented to her at a ceremony in New York, where she shared her love for fashion and its role both on and off the tennis court.

She is the first athlete to receive this prestigious recognition from the CFDA, joining the ranks of previous winners like Beyoncé, Zendaya, and Rihanna.

Serena Williams, now 42, ended her 27-year professional career in 2022 in New York at the US Open, though she has said “I am not retired”, and “the chances (of a return) are very high”.

Williams has not only made her mark in sports but has also become a symbol of style and fashion. She expressed her gratitude for the award at the ceremony and continues to inspire both on and off the tennis court.

In her acceptance remarks, she said; “I designed skirts out of denim and I wore purple tutus and bodysuits and put beads in my hair, and braids,” she said. “It was really just a fun time for me.”
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Williams studied fashion during her playing career – attending fashion school between Grand Slams – and in 2018, launched her S by Serena clothing line.

In 2019, Williams told Essence magazine that her clothes “represent women everywhere – indomitable mothers, daughters and sisters; resilient businesswomen and entrepreneurs; outsiders and underdogs; little girls with crazy dreams and unflinching women of colour.”

She referred to her career’s end in a Vogue magazine article as “evolving away from tennis”.

At the awards ceremony, Williams thanked several people but saved the last one for her mother.

“Watching her sew created this creativity in me that I still have to this day,” Williams said.

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