EDITOR’S NOTE: Featuring the great, the dangerous and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a common collection devoted to unpacking essentially the most talked about outfit of the final seven days.
As quickly as seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams stepped foot onto the courtroom for the 2025 US Open, within the eyes of many fashionistas she had already received. On the day of her blended doubles match alongside Reilly Opelka, Williams arrived wearing a customized navy and white-trimmed tennis costume by the New York-based label Khaite. Later, for the Stars of the Open exhibition match — a collection of charity video games between tennis’ most outstanding gamers — she wore a charcoal black merino-wool costume with a pleated skirt and a ruffled observe jacket by rising American model Luar.
But her best serve was but to come back. On Monday, Williams strutted to her place on the rearmost line of the courtroom in a white tennis skirt, matching buttoned polo shirt and jacket, customized made by ERL, the label based by Los Angeles native Eli Russell Linnetz. What actually made her look sing was what seemed like a hen drumstick at her aspect — however was, the truth is, a blonde, fuzzy tennis racket case with an aged leather-based strap and handles. The enjoyable, fluffy accent was decidedly retro, conjuring the form of brightly coloured dyed pelt luggage bought by Blumarine or Juicy Couture within the Nineties.
All of Williams’ US Open outfits up to now has been styled by Ronald Burton, who has labored with Solange Knowles, Erykah Badu and Mickalene Thomas.
While Williams isn’t the primary tennis participant to push the envelope of uniform guidelines, she’s one of the vital completed at doing so. Rules and regulations throughout the board make displaying sartorial character a battle unto itself. In 2023, Jannik Sinner was required to hunt out particular dispensation from the International Tennis Federation, Association of Tennis Professionals and Wimbledon simply in an effort to change out his all-white duffle bag for a Gucci monogrammed holdall.
Williams, alongside along with her sister Serena, have spent their whole sports activities careers carving out area for stylistic expression — a journey that hasn’t come with out controversy. As a teenager, Williams was infamously penalized by an umpire on the 1999 Australian Open for her option to put on beaded braids after some fell onto the courtroom. In 2010, she made headlines for carrying a black and crimson lace mini costume with a ruffled skirt which some likened to underwear. While competing at Wimbledon in 2017, she wore a scorching pink bra beneath her tennis whites and was compelled to alter after it turned uncovered (the occasion has lengthy mandated that each one gamers solely put on white undergarments. The rule was relaxed in 2022).
This is perhaps ERL’s first time on the tennis courtroom, however the impartial label has loved a flurry of starry endorsements lately. In July, the model designed a customized go well with jacket and trousers for Rihanna — which she wore shirtless, in typical Rihanna maternity type — and a handmade polka dot tie. A couple of weeks later, her associate A$AP Rocky stepped out in the identical look, although he wore his model shirt-on.
Even for a daring dresser as seasoned as Williams, her latest appearances on the US Open present there are many new methods to experiment on the courtroom. Her fluffy racket case is probably one of the best proof of all.