Mattel reward Venus Williams with a doll resembling her 2007 Wimbledon triumph

Venus Williams may have stepped on the court for the last time, but her legacy will live on forever, due to what she accomplished in tennis. Recently, she has been honoured with a Barbie Doll from Mattel as part of the Barbie Inspiring Women Series.

She is widely known as one of the best tennis players to ever play, winning seven Grand Slams. She made headlines in reaching the US Open final in her debut event at Flushing Meadows, before winning it in 2000, and 2001.She has also won Wimbledon five times, an event which has become synonymos with herself.

At the age of 45, Williams recently stepped back onto the court at events in Washington, defeating Peyton Stearns in the first round, proving the doubters wrong and showing her everlasting class.

She also played in Cincinnati, before traversing to Flushing Meadows, where she was given a wildcard to compete at the US Open for a record-breaking 25th time. She may have failed to win in the first round, losing out to former Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova in three sets, but she went on an impressive run to the quarter-finals in the women's doubles, paired with the number one doubles player in the world ,Katerina Siniakova.

The doll was made to celebrate what Williams has done not just on the court, but off it. Designed by Carlyle Nuera, she is dressed in the outfit she wore at Wimbledon in 2007, where she won her fourth title. On the back of the box the doll comes in, there is an inspiring quote which says: “You have to believe in yourself even when no one else does, that makes you a winner right there.”

One of the things Williams is most associated with is achieving equal pay for women at major tennis tournaments. In 2005, she publicly lambasted the Grand Slam, pressurising them into offering equal prize money for men and women. A year later, she wrote a letter in The Times, increasing the pressure and araweness of the situation, with her getting an overwhelming amount of support from the likes of the WTA and equality advocates.

In 2007, Wimbledon became the final Grand Slam to award equal pay for men and women in all the rounds. Poetically, Williams won the event, collecting the same amount of money as the men's champion, Roger Federer.

"The Barbie Inspiring Women series pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time; courageous women who took risks, changed rules and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before,” writes Mattel. “Despite facing gender pay discrimination throughout her tennis career, Venus Williams was committed to achieving more success both on and off the court. She demanded equal prize money for the women’s tennis tournament champion as for the men.”

This is not the first time Williams has had a doll made of her. In the early 2000s, she and her sister Serena Williams were both made dolls. Serena was also treated to a Barbie doll in 2019, in the Barbie Shero line created to celebrate inspirational women.

Aside from the Williams sisters, most recently four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka had one made in 2021, made in the Rolls Model collection, which sold out within hours. The Japanese star has inspired many in recent years, getting back to her best form with a Canadian Open final and US Open semi-final appearance.

The men have also had their time in the spotlight. Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have also had dolls/figurines made in their honour. Federer was very popular in his home country of Switzerland, with many picking up one as a souvenir.