Serena Williams officially retires tennisas announced in its new cover of Voguethe September issue.
In the magazine cover story, released online today, the award-winning athlete shared a verbal essay with writer Rob Haskell. In it, she explains how she views this next step as an “evolution” in her life, as opposed to a retirement — especially as she looks to expand her family with husband Alexis Ohanian. For the cover itself, photographed by Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Williams poses in a light blue Balenciaga dress and sparkling Bulgari High Jewelry earrings, with her daughter Olympia, four, holding her flowing train. Additional outfits, styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, include colorful dresses by Ralph Lauren, Sergio Hudson and Danielle Frankel, as well as sculptural jewelry by Fernando Jorge.
“I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving from tennis to other things that are important to me,” the Serena Ventures founder said in the article.
The S by Serena designer also spoke about the crossroads she felt leaving tennis, and Williams clarifies that – despite how other athletes have described the joys of retirement – she wasn’t necessarily enthusiastic about retiring from sport.
“For me, there’s no happiness in this subject,” Williams says. “I keep telling myself I wish it was easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to end, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to look at this magazine when it comes out, knowing that this is it, the end of a story that started in Compton, California, with a little black girl who just wanted to play tennis.”
As for the future, Williams is focused — as previously reported — on growing her family with Ohanian and raising Olympia. Describing oneself as needing “t“Either be two feet in tennis or two feet out,” Williams emphasizes the importance to her of being an active parent. However, she is also reflecting on her groundbreaking legacy in tennis, citing her admiration for Billie Jean King as someone who “transcended her sport.”