Venus Williams ended her U.S. Open campaign on Tuesday, putting up a solid effort in her women’s doubles quarter-final defeat after taking the headlines back once again for her style and substance on the court.
Williams and her Canadian partner Leylah Fernandez fell 6-1, 6-2 in the women’s doubles quarter-finals to Australian Open winners Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend. Despite the defeat, Williams’ performance capped a remarkable return to the game this season. In July, she became the oldest WTA singles match winner since 2004, a feat that drew admiration from fans and peers alike.
Across her appearances in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows, Williams remained must-watch viewing. Beyond her tennis, she once again commanded attention for her fashion, more than 25 years after she and sister Serena redefined the sport’s style. From Vogue to InStyle, publications chronicled her outfits as breathlessly as her forehands.
“For me what you wear is just a reflection of who you are and being able to express myself on the court,” Williams said. “It’s a lot of fun when you wear something you feel good in.”
Her on-court wardrobe included a pleated, collared all-white kit in the singles first round a tribute to trailblazer Althea Gibson which drew rave reviews, as did her valiant three-set effort against 11th seed Karolina Muchova. In doubles, she showcased a mesh-layered kit with an embellished trim and later a custom-designed dress from Italian fashion house Pucci.
Earlier this year, Williams bridged tennis and high fashion when she became the first to wear Lacoste on the red carpet at the Met Gala. “It doesn’t matter what that is, as long as you feel good in it. So I got to do that. If it was fashionable, thank you for that,” she said.
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Her influence echoes in the current generation. Reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who lost in the fourth round to Naomi Osaka, credited Serena Williams and her sister Venus for pushing tennis fashion forward. “Fashion helps bring just casual fans to the sport, a new demographic,” Gauff said, noting her own collaboration with New Balance and Miu Miu on kits for Rome, Berlin and Cincinnati.
Osaka, too, leaned into high style, unveiling a glittery purple Nike ensemble that had been months in the making. She accessorised with bejewelled Labubus charms on her racket bag. “It always makes me excited for what’s coming up that people don’t know about,” Osaka said.
For Venus Williams, however, the U.S. Open underscored what she has always represented a rare blend of athletic excellence, trailblazing fashion and timeless inspiration.
