All eyes were on tennis superstar Serena Williams as she arrived at the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards (CFDA) at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Monday. Preparing to accept the prestigious Fashion Icon Award—previously given to icons like Naomi Campbell, Zendaya, and Beyoncé—the retired athlete, 42, graced the red carpet in a stunning black sequined gown designed by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne, featuring dramatic sleeves and a flowing train.
The mom-of-two, who welcomed her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August, accessorized her show-stopping outfit with exquisite jewelry from David Yurman and styled her long golden hair in a low ponytail.
Before the event, Serena shared her thoughts with CFDA, stating, “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself—fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going.”
“My dream of owning my own brand, S by Serena, has become a reality,” Serena Williams shared during her acceptance speech for the Fashion Icon Award at the CFDA Awards. “Throughout my career, I have been blessed to collaborate with the most established designers and the most exciting up-and-coming creatives. I’ve had so much fun learning my style and allowing it to change as my life has evolved, but I’ve always held one thing true—fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race, or income.”
Expressing her gratitude, Williams said she felt “incredibly honored” to receive the prestigious award. CFDA Chairman Thom Browne praised the Michigan native for “bringing fashion to another world” through her tennis career and for “always staying true to herself, both on and off the court.” He described her as a “true fashion icon” and “one of the most inspiring people in the world.”
In December, Serena admitted on Twitter that retirement hasn’t been easy for her, explaining that having free time is challenging after spending her entire life preparing for tournaments and competing.
Serena welcomed her daughter Olympia in September 2017, sharing her with husband Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit. The couple married just two months after Olympia’s birth. Speaking to E! News earlier this month, Serena reflected on her hopes for her daughter: “I hope she realizes that I was pretty good at my job and the hard work that it takes to be good at it.” She emphasized the discipline and dedication required to excel in her sport.
She also opened up about retirement in a Vogue essay published in August.
‘I for sure feel more at peace now,’ Serena admitted. ‘It’s interesting. I think I feel torn because I’m still able to play at a very, very, very high level. With that being said, I always wanted to leave the game playing at a very high level.’
The star added, ‘But it’s hard because it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I could still play, and I could still do all that stuff.’….But I’m inch by inch leaning away, inch by inch embracing it.’
‘I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next,’ Serena had written in August, gushing that tennis, ‘has given me so much. I love to win. I love the battle. I love to entertain.’
‘My whole life, up to now, has been tennis. My dad says I first picked up a racket when I was three, but I think it was even earlier,’ she had reminisced.
At the time of her retirement news, Serena revealed during an interview with Time that her daughter was actually quite excited over the announcement.
‘Olympia doesn’t like when I play tennis,’ the star stated, whose older sister, Venus Williams, is also professionally plays the sport.
She added that at the time, the reaction, ‘kind of makes me sad, and brings anxiety to my heart. It’s hard to completely commit when your flesh and blood is saying, Aw.’
Although Serena had expressed to Vogue that she had planned to evolve away from tennis, she stated at the TechCrunch Disrupt panel in San Francisco in October that, ‘I’m not retired.’
