Tennis great Serena Williams continues to dominate the fashion world, one awe-inspiring outfit at a time.
On Thursday, June 13, while attending the world premiere of her new docuseries In The Arena: Serena Williams during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at the BMCC Theater in New York City, Williams arrived in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired light pink halter corset dress by Dolce & Gabbana, featuring a satin bodice fit for royalty.
From the structured, corseted bodice with a tulle halter overlay, the tennis star's dress flitted outward into a knee-length blush skirt featured a thigh-high leg slit. Williams expertly paired it with light pink, chunky, peep-toe heels, a matching pink clutch, and a breathtaking drop necklace.
While Williams arrived at the event in an all-out glam outfit, she was there to highlight the not-so-glamorous side of professional tennis.
“A lot of people get to see the grand slam victories and mostly the trophy and finals, they never get to see the practices," she told Extra at the premiere. "They never see everything that goes into that.”
Williams went on to say that the film offers viewers "an intimate back look of everything that happens," and explained that it "was something that I thought would be a really good story to tell."
According to the film festival’s website, the docuseries “explores the pivotal moments in Serena’s life on and off court, illustrating the series of steps that, when reflected upon, show the incredible distance travelled over the course of her career.”
For the uninitiated, Williams is one of the highest-paying professional athletes of all-time, according to Forbes. After going pro at the tender age of 14 and went on to win an astonishing 25 Grand Slam titles. She also revolutionized tennis fashion during her matches alongside her sister, Venus Williams, using a historic partnership with Nike to push the boundaries of what women can wear to compete.
"[S]eeing myself and my sister on the big stages of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, being ourselves and wearing great outfits and looking our best, really changed women's sports—which is crazy," she previously told Marie Claire.
While there's no denying Williams's dominance on the tennis court, she has become an undeniable fashion powerhouse on the red carpet, too. For this year's Met Gala, the GOAT looks like a golden goddess in a Balenciaga gown, complete with a custom gold floral headpiece from New York-based designer Jennifer Behr, cuffed bracelets, a selection of gold rings, and a pair of black opera-length gloves. (Talk about a look fit for tennis royalty.) Then, she changed into a crocheted naked dress for the Met's afterparties.
After being named CFDA'S 2023 fashion icon, Williams said she's used fashion to express herself since a young age.
"Fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going," she continued. "My dream of owning my own brand, S by Serena, has become a reality and throughout my career I have been blessed to collaborate with the most established designers and the most exciting up-and-coming creatives."
Williams went on to say that she has had "so much fun learning my style and allowing it to change as my life has evolved, but I've always held one thing true– fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race, or income."
