Serena Williams officially retires tennisas announced in his new cover story for VogueSeptember issue.
In the magazine cover storyPublished online today, the award-winning athlete shared a spoken-word essay with writer Rob Haskell. In it, she discusses how she sees 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, shot by Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Williams poses in a light blue Balenciaga gown and sparkling Bulgari High Jewelry earrings, with her four-year-old daughter Olympia holding the flowing train. Additional outfits, styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, include colorful gowns by Ralph Lauren, Sergio Hudson, and Danielle Frankel, as well as sculptural jewelry by Fernando Jorge.
Serena Williams and Olympia Ohanian pose for the September 2022 issue of “Vogue.” CREDIT: Luis Alberto Rodriguez
“I’m here to tell you that I’m moving away from tennis and toward 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 when she left tennis, to which Williams clarified that – despite how other athletes have described the joys of retirement – she wasn’t necessarily excited about the idea of retiring from the sport.
“For me, this topic doesn’t make me happy,” Williams says. “I keep telling myself that I wish this was easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time, I’m ready for what’s next. I don’t know how I’m going to look at this magazine when it comes out, knowing that it’s the end of a story that started in Compton, California, with a little black girl who just wanted to play tennis.”
Serena Williams poses in the September 2022 issue of “Vogue.” CREDIT: Luis Alberto Rodriguez
As for the future, Williams is, as previously reported, focused on expanding his family with Ohanian and raising Olympia. Describing himself as needing “t“Whether it’s two feet in tennis or two feet out,” Williams emphasizes the importance of being an active parent. However, she is also reflecting on his revolutionary legacy in tennis, citing his admiration for Billie Jean King as someone who “transcended her sport.”
Serena Williams poses in the September 2022 issue of “Vogue.” CREDIT: Luis Alberto Rodriguez
