"I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed,” Serena declared in her final US Open interview.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion could have chosen to focus on her numerous accolades, but instead turned the spotlight on her older sister, Venus Williams. It comes as no surprise that Venus was chosen to be the coverstar for the October issue of Britain's GLAMOUR Magazine, with the former World No.1 already a household name in the fashion industry.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion spoke with GLAMOUR in an exclusive interview, and elaborated on how her individual style impacted both the fashion industry and tennis world.
“At the time, I didn’t know that I was different and now I realize how very different I was,” recalled Venus. “But difference is what makes the world beautiful – and I think people really can see that now, in terms of what Serena and I have accomplished in the sport, and how it’s elevated tennis, sport or even the world. So different is the only way to go.”
Venus was the first to bring a new aesthetic to tennis with her now-iconic beaded braids, triggering copycat requests to aunties and braid salons everywhere.
“People didn’t necessarily know my culture. So, when people saw we were wearing braids and beads, they may have thought it was unique," said Williams. "But people from my own culture would’ve realized, ‘Oh, wow, this is something that young girls do.’
"So, I feel like I’m still educating people about my culture, one at a time; like, this is normal to African-Americans, or people of African descent or with ethnic hair. We often do wear braids and beads, which have very deep meanings from their origins. It’s important for people to know about the cultures of the world.”
#VenusWilliams is GLAMOUR's October coverstar 💫 Tennis icon, entrepreneur and activist @venuseswilliams talks to @theabigailedit about securing equal pay for. women in sport, building an empire off the court, and sisterhood. 🔗 glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/venus-…
