Serena Williams showed she’s determined to exit her glittering sporting career in style – in both the tennis and fashion stakes – waltzed on court at Arthur Ashe Stadium looking like a rock star, and leaving with a round two match ahead of her.
In front of a 25,000-strong celebrity-packed crowd, Williams arrived to chants of ‘GOAT’ and appeared every inch the queen of tennis glamour in a show-stopping bespoke Nike dress with crystal-encrusted bodice and train, apparently inspired by figure skaters.
Daughter Olympia, watching from the stands, sported a mini-me version of the dress, with white beads – which her mother had worn at her first Flushing Meadows appearance in 1998.
Williams, 40, who announced her retirement – without actually using the word – in a Vogue interview earlier this month looked sensational in the shimmering all-black tennis outfit, which included a skirt that comprised six layers – to represent each of her six US Open wins.
GOAT get-up: Serena Williams arrived on court in a show-stopping all-black outfit including a glittering train, gold shoelace tags, diamond-encrusted Nike tags on her shoes and crystals in her hair
Nike said the star, who announced her retirement earlier this month, had provided ‘the full vision’ for the thrilling design, which is thought to have been inspired by figure skaters
Glamour: Serena Williams beat Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic (6-3, 6-3) in the US Open’s first-round on Monday night, with crystals run through her hair and PE NikeCourt Flare 2, which included a diamond-encrusted Swoosh, along with the solid gold lace deubrés
The star admitted in the post-match interview at Flushing Meadows after beating Montenegrin Danka Kovinić 6-3, 6-3 that she’d had to remove four of the said layers to play comfortably.
Nike’s kit designers haven’t held back when it comes to ensuring Williams final on-court attire is an outfit to remember.
The brand worked with the star and designers at her Serena Williams Jewelry company, with diamonds featuring on her shoes, crystals run through her hair, and jewels encrusted on the bridal-style train and across the sheer tennis dress – inspired ‘by the night sky’ that she wore to dispatch Kovinić in straight sets.
In an on-court interview after the match with a gushing Gayle King she admitted: ‘I had six layers to represent the six wins, but I took four out because it was too heavy.’
Prior to the tournament beginning, the star collaborated with Nike on the finale kit, with the brand saying Williams was ‘providing the full vision and dialing the details for a thrilling design created to make her feel comfortable and confident.’
Her shoes were PE NikeCourt Flare 2, which included a diamond-encrusted Swoosh, along with the solid gold lace deubrés.
In the stands, Serena’s daughter, Olympia, almost five, wore white beads, which Serena sported during her first appearance at the tournament as a teenager, and a mini-me version of her mother’s sparkly outfit.
Serena’s husband Alexis Ohanian sat next to one of the evening’s biggest celebrities, the couple’s daughter, Olympia – who wore white beads, which Serena sported during her first appearance at the tournament as a teenager
Serena Williams breezed to an easy first-round win over Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic on Monday night in Flushing, Queens
Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro on Monday night in New York
The match was the hottest ticket in town in New York on Monday, with a star-studded crowd at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Vera Wang, Mike Tyson, Hugh Jackman, Anna Wintour and even Bill Clinton were all on hand to see Serena Williams begin her final US Open with an easy victory.
Anthony Anderson, Huma Abedin, Spike Lee, Rebel Wilson, Lindsey Vonn, and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor were also in attendance, as was Mayor Eric Adams.
Williams could not have picked a better venue to begin her farewell than Flushing, where she’s won six singles titles and a pair of doubles crowns in front of New York celebrities, many of whom were seen sitting together on Monday night.
People hold up signs reading ‘We love you Serena’ during a ceremony following her first-round win at the US Open
Mike Tyson was seen alongside retired tennis legend, Martina Navratilova, and her well-behaved lap dog
nna Wintour looks on prior to the match between Serena Williams and Danika Kovinic of Montenegro on Monday in Queens
Tyson was alongside retired tennis legend, Martina Navratilova, and her well-behaved lap dog, while Clinton was curiously seated next to Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the famous German-American sex therapist and talk show host. And of course, Serena’s billionaire husband Alexis Ohanian was pictured next to one of the evening’s biggest celebrities, the couple’s four-year-old daughter, Olympia.
Naturally, the demand to see Williams one last time was historic. The average resale ticket price for this year’s US Open is up 68 percent to $512 since Williams’ retirement announcement, according to ticketing and marketing analytics company, TicketIQ.
Actor Hugh Jackman (C) watches Serena Williams play Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in their first-round match
Curiously, Bill Clinton was seen seated next to German-American sex therapist and talk show host, Dr. Ruth Westheimer
Meanwhile, secondary-market ticket prices for Monday’s first-round match spiked 300 percent, with the average ticket price hitting $987 — a record since TicketIQ began tracking the data in 2011.
And of course, those fans weren’t paying to watch Kovinic, who was up against Williams and all of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.
‘The crowd was crazy,’ Williams said during her post-match ceremony. ‘They really helped pull me through. I was really pumped up, like, ”Yes, I got this.”
‘I just want people to think how hard one tries,’ Williams continued, speaking with CBS’ Gayle King. ‘It’s so important to give your all no matter what you do, how many obstacles you face. I’ve been down so much so many times, in the public eye, and I’ve had to come back… but never give up.
‘It sounds cliched, but no matter what you’re going through, I just want people to be inspired by my story. I’m from Compton, California, and I made it.’
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