Venus Williams excited fans when she made a shock return to Wimbledon this year to partner with Jamie Murray to beat Michael Venus and Alicja Rosolska in the mixed doubles. Wearing her latest Wimbledon Collection designs for her EleVen by Venus Williams line, the five-time Wimbledon champion looked swift, strong and stylish on the grass. “For Wimbledon, I wore the Wavy Tennis Skirt and the Wavy Long Sleeve in Bright White from EleVen’s new ‘Wimbledon Whites’ collection. I always wear EleVen when I play because we design our pieces to be the perfect blend of function and fashion,” she told HollywoodLife in an EXCLUSIVE interview.
She continued, “We ensure each of our collections are made with movement and performance top of mind, to ensure you not only feel comfortable, but look good tackling your fitness goals. It’s an amazing feeling to wear our EleVen designs at an iconic tournament like Wimbledon – definitely a proud moment for me.”
When designing the Wimbledon Whites collection, Venus admitted she “infused” her “personal style” along with “the classic style of Wimbledon to create a modern take on the traditional look.” “I wanted to elevate the traditional all-white Wimbledon looks by incorporating subtle, yet eye-catching details that stand out on the court, and beyond,” she said. “Super chic design elements paired with flexible fabrics, performance-driven technology, sun protection, and sustainability elements… what’s not to love?!”
Venus, 42, made a last-minute request into the mixed doubles draw for the 2022 championship, after it was initially thought that she wouldn’t play in the grand slam. “Wimbledon is very special to me. It represents so many milestones in my career and it’s where I started my fight for equal pay, so designing a signature collection tied to the competition was really exciting for me,” she told HL.
In 2005, before winning her third Wimbledon title, Venus met with tournament officials to discuss equal prize money amongst female and male athletes; however, her demands were rejected. When nothing changed, she wrote a pivotal essay in The Times on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006 and starred in a campaign by the Women’s Tennis Association and UNESCO, calling for gender equality in sports. The following year, the Championship announced that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds, and the French Open followed suit. Venus was the first female athlete to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, winning in ’07 and taking home the same prize as male winner Roger Federer.
She has since continued her fight for equal pay off the court. “It’s an issue that unfortunately goes far beyond sports. Significant wage gaps between men and women still persist today — particularly for women of color. Women are making an average of 84 cents to the $1 that men earn,” Venus explained. “I am so grateful for the platform I have and want to use it to fight for global pay equality and empower women around the world to do the same. In 2021, EleVen launched its Privilege Tax Initiative, which provides an option at checkout to donate $1 for every purchase made. 100% of the proceeds from this initiative benefit Girls Inc — an organization that equips young women with the skills to navigate through economic, gender, and social barriers, and to grow up as independent individuals.”
The ‘Wimbledon Whites’ collection for EleVen by Venus Williams is available now at elevenbyvenuswilliams.com!