It’s pretty hard to keep calm after seeing the ‘Queen of the Court‘ pulling up her socks, and shining her armory on the other side of the court. How difficult it is to hold the temperament at that moment and then outclass her with their own performances? Well, there aren’t many who would stand a chance to tell the secret of beating Serena Williams on bigger stages of the game. But Wim Fissette is an exception! He has worked with six different players who have beaten Serena Williams quite a few times in the past. Fissette got a closer look at how the 23-time Grand Slam champion used tactics to get into the head of her opponents. The secret to success?

Believe. As it says, believe you can and you’re halfway there! Recently, while speaking to The AO Show’s ‘The Sit-Down with Wim Fissette’ podcast, the renowned Belgian tennis coach revealed how important it was to be strong mentally to outclass the American tennis legend, who loves playing mind games. Fissette has coached several world number-one tennis stars in his career so far. To beat Serena Williams was pretty special to him and he’s proud of his achievements. But the one which struck him the most during those matches was, “I think Serena definitely won a lot of matches before the match started,” Fissette.

Serena Williams is someone who always came up with vast experience in winning multiple matches and titles in her career. He added, “I think making the player aware of like, what was going to happen even before the match would start, you know. Say she likes to be a little bit late, before the start of the match. So she likes to make you wait.” He said there were a couple of other things which Williams used to do before the match to make her presence felt by her opponents. “Seeing Serena on the other side is not easy to stay calm, like so it’s super important,” Wim Fissette.

The 44-year-old tennis coach has won six major titles by coaching multiple tennis stars in his career. But watching his player (Angelique Kerber) beat seven-time champion Serena Williams at the finals of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships was really special. It holds a special place in his heart. How did he manage to do this next-to-impossible task?

“That was phenomenal” – Fissette’s reaction to Kerber beating Serena Williams in the finals of the 2018 Wimbledon

Fissette began working with two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Angelique Kerber in 2018 after the German struggled throughout 2017 and fell out of the top-20. Being the third Major champion Fissette worked with in his coaching career, Kerber defeated Serena Williams by 6-3,6-3 in the finals of 2018 Wimbledon Championships. Wim revealed what worked best for Kerber in accomplishing such a feat: “Starts with first of all the right play plan and confidence. I felt like I mean, the whole year, Angelique was playing really well.”

Fissette said Kerber knew grass court was her best surface. He added they had a good preparatory camp ahead of the tournament in Eastbourne. But the only issue which he had about her game at that moment was, that she was very passive. Hence, the Belgian coach had to then ask her to play a little more aggressively and take her chances whenever there was an opportunity. Winning Wimbledon was Kerber’s dream and she was pretty much confident about winning the tournament that year. But to defeat one of the best player of all time, Serena Williams was really exceptional. “That was phenomenal” – Wim Fissette’s reaction to the Wimbledon triumph in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports in 2022 adds weight to the case.

It’s that time of the year when Hollywood and Sports meet Fashion and the result usually is nothing short of iconic. The Met Gala undoubtedly is fashion’s biggest night of the year and the stage is set for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to welcome the stars gracing this event. Supervised by Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour, a big tennis fan herself, the 2024 Met Gala will have its own share of sporting celebrities.

The guest list for the gala is usually kept under wraps hours before it starts but celebrities have the tendency to drop sneak-peeks for fans of their outfits. Anna Wintour has chosen “Sleeping Beauties” as the theme for this year and she expects celebs to wear a lot of “flowers”.  Coming to tennis’ presence at the Gala, Serena Williams has always led the way followed by her sister Venus Williams in terms of the no. of appearances.

However, Russian legend Maria Sharapova has also ensured that her regal presence was felt multiple times over the past decade. Remember in 2021 when Sharapova and Serena broke the internet with their iconic photo from the Met? Well, buckle up tennis fans. You are in for a treat as the sport’s iconic rival duo could very well repeat the same feat this year.

Back in 2023, Serena stunned the sporting world by announcing her pregnancy on the red carpet alongside husband Alexis Ohanian. Sharapova, on the other hand, gave the gala a miss last year. A fact to note here is that the 2023 Met was co-chaired by none other than Roger Federer. Imagine the hype if all the three of them had gotten together for a photo?

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams drop updates from their Met Gala outfit prep

Well, we might not be fortunate enough to witness that but for now, we can have both Serena and Sharapova gang up for a second time. Few hours ago, Maria posted a photo on her Instagram about her excitement for the gala.

The Russian legend doesn’t stop here as she is consistently dropping fun-filled updates from her team while prepping. “The calm before the Sleeping Beauty storm”, reads one Instagram story as Maria points to a bouquet on her table. Clearly, Sharapova enjoys getting ready for an illustrious event like the Met Gala.

Coming to Serena Williams, she started off a bit late than Maria in giving an update to her fans about her presence. The American icon shares a “cool package” from Ashley Graham, who will be hosting one of the red-carpet shows for Vogue. If this acts as a teaser for her confirmed presence at the Gala, Serena’s latest Instagram stories ensure that she is all set to own the red-carpet once again this year.

It might be difficult even for Serena to top last year’s show-stealing outfit plus the pregnancy reveal but if she could manage a pose with her tennis rival Maria Sharapova like she did in 2021, that will be more than enough to keep internet and fans buzzing throughout this week.

The 2024 Met Gala is here, and the event would not have been complete without Serena Williams dazzling the red carpet. The Queen of the Court has shown us many iconic outfits at the event over the years and she aimed for the same in 2024. However, the 23-time grand slam champion may have missed the mark this year as fans expressed concerns about her outfit and shared their reactions.

As per this year’s “Garden of Time” dress code, Williams donned a golden gilt gown. The golden piece featured two dramatic trains extending down to the floor, one from behind her shoulder and the other from a side leg slit. The diva added a few black details to her stunning ensemble, including opera-length gloves, sheer tights, and stiletto shoes.

While a lot of planning likely went into creating the outfit, her fans and followers could not appreciate what Williams wore.  After Pop Base shared a video of Williams with ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ actress Michelle Yeoh, fans shared their thoughts about the outfits.

One viewer felt frustrated and wondered what the designer could not understand about garden design. They further threw doubt upon the designer’s talent as it made them reminisce of tinfoil. “what concept of garden of time did the stylist not understand it looks like they just wrapped a piece of tin foil on her oml…” Several others also chimed in on the same lines, “Why are we in foil ladies???” one said. Another fan asked in confusion: “Why are they in foil??“

Costco is famous for bulk ordering any household item. With the look of the dress, one user believed that they had bought out the entire stock of aluminum foil of Costco to make their dresses. “they bought the entire stock of aluminum foil from Costco.”

Williams made a bombshell announcement last year when she announced that she was expecting another baby. Additionally, she smashed it out of the park with the black dress and pearl accessories. Believing her current outfit to be disastrous compared to her last one, a fan believed she made a mistake. “Oh dear.”

Serena Williams was accompanied by Michelle Yeoh on the red carpet and their dresses looked as if they were made from the same fabric. Believing the outfit to already be abhorrent, a fan couldn’t believe the level of similarity. “Not them both dressed….like….this. Whatever this…is. .”

Kitchen is the place one will usually find the stock of aluminum foil in one’s house. Noticing the similarity of the dress with the food wrapping item, one user believed she had been robbed of hers. “girl why are my aluminium foils got out of my kitchen drawer ?“

Most fans made it clear that they did not like Williams’ outfit for the Met Gala. However, there was one major fan of her and the outfit.

For someone who is known for always delivering a fashion statement, Serena Williams failed to impress a large portion of her fanbase. However, she has one supporter who will cheer for her no matter what and did so once again. Alexis Ohanian also shared his reaction to Williams’ outfit as she stood alongside Yeoh on the red carpet. Ohanian was starstruck by Williams as he shared the emoji “.”

Ohanian himself donned a fashionable suit at the 2023 Met Gala but skipped out in 2024. The former number 1’s outfit was more well-received when she shared a post on her Instagram page. Many commenters replied with several fire emojis, and her former coach, Rennae Stubbs, shared the same emoji as her husband.

When Venus Williams graces an event, she never fails to captivate attention, and her recent appearance at the Met Gala was no exception. The tennis champion’s Marc Jacobs gown was intentionally difficult to wear, despite its majestic appearance and plenty of small mirrors. Beyond all expectations, she radiated a kind of sophistication and style making many fans wonder if she surpasses even her younger sister, Serena Williams, in terms of glitz.

Apparently, the 43-year-old American tennis legend was seen serving looks in a Balenciaga-draped metallic gown. Let’s take a look at what the tennis fans have to say about her glittering Met Gala look.

The William sisters walked the Met Gala carpet, and while both of them looked amazing, it was Venus who left everyone astonished with her amazing fashion choice for the event. A fashion media outlet posted her pictures from the same and wrote, “Venus Williams aces at the #MetGala.” 

Looking into that, tennis fans dropped amazing comments, appreciating her effort on the court. A fan highlighted how she might have overshadowed her sister in fashion, even her losing to her on the court. “She may lose to her Serena on the court but she always eating her up in the fashions.” 

On the other hand, another one talked about how he somewhere had an advantage with her fashion – “advantage miss Venus Williams!”

Moreover, the same thought was put up by another fan, explaining how the 23-time Grand Slam champion missed that fashion edge that Venus brought on the carpet. Not only that, he clearly mentioned the elder sister, did amazing on the red carpet. He wrote, “Venus look better than her sister tonight.. cause Serena MISSED.” 

Subsequently, a fan mentioned how the particular metallic dress literally gave her Goddess-like energy – “Loving…Vee’s goddess energy!!” 

While that was not it, another fan also tagged her as Goddess, looking into her mirror filled attire, and her confidence,  saying “Behold this stunning goddess@”

On the other hand, the 42-year-old American tennis legend also carried herself on the Met Gala carpet with her amazing fashion.

Serena Williams’ Met Gala look was “something truly extraordinary” 

Beyond Hollywood royalty, a wide range of sports was present there at one of the most prominent fashion events in the world, adding to the Met Gala’s attractiveness. Starting from NBA veteran Dwyane Wade, and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese to tennis greats Serena Williams and Venus Williams all made eye-catching debuts. The 43-year-old American tennis legend, in particular, worked with Balenciaga to create a custom outfit that honored the brand’s history and was influenced by its 51st couture collection.

Her attire, which featured a one-shouldered elegance, was crowned with black opera-length gloves, rings, and golden flowers in her hair. She added similar heels and black translucent tights to complete the ensemble. She exuded a sophisticated and glamorous vibe that made an impression on both guests and fashion fans.

She said, “This gown represents a collective effort to create something truly extraordinary, and I am immensely proud to be the one to showcase it.” The way both the sisters have shined on the carpet, it won’t be long to say that they have entered the fashion game quite strongly.

Serena Williams‘s equal brilliance in tennis and fashion has shown why she deserves to be called a legend. However, like the rest of us, this former world’s number-one WTA star also needed some fashion guidance and she received it from a legend in the field, Vogue’s Anna Wintour. Williams, who has mesmerized her fans with her iconic presence at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts‘s special event since 2011, brought a storm on social media channelling her inner fashionista athlete on the red carpet in 2019. From Anna Wintour’s latest revelations, fans hear the story behind that iconic look pulled off by the tennis legend.

In an exclusive interview with Today’s Jenna Bush, Vogue’s Global Editorial Head spoke about how she helped the 23-time Grand Slam winner with her Met Gala outfit in 2019. When Bush asked her “Do you help anybody pick their outfit?” Wintour’s response not only delighted fans’ hearts but brought a great surprise to their faces. Anna Wintour said, referring to Williams’s Met Gala look in 2019: “I suggested to Serena Williams that she wear sneakers. She’s the only one that could get away with it.”

Adhering to the theme camp, the Olympic gold medalist wore Versace’s electric yellow colored chartreuse gown highlighted by glittery autumn leaves. She uplifted the event’s theme with her bright yellow sneakers that stole the show. Her spectacular de Grisogono jewelry was also too beautiful for fans to miss. From Wintour’s interview, Williams’s fans got to know that Vogue’s fashion marvel partly suggested Williams’s iconic Met Gala 2019 look that brought her so many compliments.

“Williams took to the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a highlighter-yellow Atelier Versace gown adorned with pink 3-D butterflies. It’s a bold look that few could pull off, but Williams looked perfectly at ease—especially as she revealed bright yellow Off-White x Nike sneakers under her gown,” Hapers Bazaar wrote about her look at the time.

On the other hand, for Serena Williams sneakers are an accessory that she often showcases with extraordinary elegance. She donned a pair of white bedazzled sneakers highlighted with white and yellow stone works on her wedding that represented the marvelous styling game of this former tennis legend. Williams’s love for sneakers was also revealed when she attended her close friend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding wearing sneakers. Sharing her look on Instagram, Williams captioned it, “Little known fact: I often wear sneakers under my evening gown.”

While Serena Williams and her sneakers stole the limelight always, this time the legend chose to ditch the comfy and unleash her glamorous look on the red carpet.

Serena Williams channeled her gilded golden look at Met Gala 2024

The world’s former number-one tennis star’s recent fashion craze showcases her love for metallic gowns as Williams surprised her fans with a bedazzling one-shouldered golden gown at this year’s Met Gala. Following balance with this year’s theme Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion – picked by Anna Wintour, Williams appeared as a golden diva and her look was highlighted further by black gloves and diamond jewels. This Olympic gold-medalist former WTA star also donned a jewel head ornament that looks like a barrette with her look.

Learning from the GOAT of fashion herself, Williams expressed her gratefulness to Wintour for showing her how her fashion picks could volumes about her humble and grounded personality.

Following her retirement from tennis at the 2022 US Open, Serena Williams immersed herself in business ventures. With investments ranging in various fields like sports, technology, and personal care, one of her most proud accomplishments is WYN BEAUTY. The American tennis legend recently took to social media to promote her brand even as her daughter wasn’t left too impressed by her mother.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion is very active on social media to share her day-to-day glimpses with her fans. On this occasion, she shared a video of her using products from WYN BEAUTY, simultaneously explaining their benefits. In the video that she shared on her TikTok handle, Williams’ daughter, Olympia, could be seen in the background. The 6-year-old seemed tired and disinterested while her mother promoted the brand.

In the clip, Williams explained, “Ok everyone, this beauty routine by WYN Beauty literally took me four minutes because Olympia, as you can see, is in the background giving me stank face, she’s angry and she’s like, I wanna go downstairs and get a lot of sleep. So I put my skin tint as a moisturizer.”

Further, she went on to add, “I need to have something that is super fast that I can put on really fast because look at her attitude she’s giving me in the background, six years old. So I don’t have the time sometimes to do full-face makeup to go to her school, to got to places, to go to my grocery store. You know, regular mom things.”

This is not the first time Serena Williams has used social media to promote her brand, WYN BEAUTY. A few days ago, she shared another clip of her using the brand’s products before going to Olympia’s school.

Serena Williams uncovers never-seen-before look

Before picking up her daughter from her school, Williams put on makeup with WYN BEAUTY’s products, which were super-easy and fast. The American legend got a complete makeover in no time and shared some tips with her fans.

Williams went on to reveal, “I am just doing everyday girl face, skin tint all wyn beauty, super easy and I just need to go out relax.” The brand’s products had made her life easy as far as makeup was concerned, which was exactly the motto behind her efforts to launch this brand.

Further, Williams wanted to offer “makeup you can move in,” owing to the fact that she “was always searching for makeup that looked good after hours on the court.” Thus, WYN BEAUTY was a step in the right direction and she has completely changed the game as far as personal care is concerned.

Serena Williams has a deep association with the fashion world. Right from the time when tennis legend ruled the courts, she had a desire to explore the glamorous lane and therefore took time to do it after she retired from her professional tennis career. However, besides walking on the red carpet herself, the former tennis pro is deeply associated with the famous media personalities Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

As a big step in the manufacturing and retail of beauty products, Serena Williams recently launched her own brand. Going with the name of WYN Beauty, the brand started to conquer the minds of her fans as well as beauty enthusiasts alike within no time. As a gift from a friend, Serena sent a pack of products to Khloe Kardashian, to which she reacted with uncontrollable excitement.

In a recent Instagram story, Khloe showcased the stunning products from Serena’s own brand WYN Beauty, as a vote to thank her for the surprise. “I love you Rena!! Thank You!! @wyn @serenawilliams,” she wrote, extending a lovable message to her friend for sending the newly launched beauty products.

The distribution of these products recently started to roll out in the market. Along with 680 Ulta Beauty stores across the United States, the accessories were also launched on the official ulta.com website. Serena, being the owner and the brain behind this company, not only sent these products to Khloe but also to other couple of friends, to showcase the quality and packaging of her amazing product line.

However, this wasn’t the first time when Serena Williams was seen interacting with Khloe Kardashian. They have been friends for more than 20 years and still continue to give examples of their adorable bond.

Serena Williams is currently busy with the distribution phase of her brand WYN Beauty. However, there was a time when the company was just an idea in her mind in the form of an interest. Back when Serena Williams came up with the announcement of her brand’s launch, she also revealed the in-depth story behind the dream turning into reality.

“I’ve always been into beauty. But when you’re a tennis player, there’s only so much that you can do because you’re out there on the court for hours. You move and sweat a lot, and you wipe everything away,” Serena said.

Along with that, she also explained how the need to start her own brand emerged. “I never found a skin tint that I truly loved and actually worked, so I knew I needed to create something,” Serena added. As the former tennis pro continues to explore her dreams even after giving up the sport, it shows how she’s on unstoppable soul.

Garbine Muguruza recently marked an end to her professional tennis career. After exploring the ups and downs of the sport for 30 years, the WTA star walked out with glory. On her journey to conquer titles, the Spaniard not only traveled highly competitive roads but also managed to snatch the titles with matches against both Venus and Serena Williams. As she opened up about the two grand slam wins, she narrated how it feels to triumph over the best in tennis.

Recently, Garbine Muguruza appeared in an interview with Prakash Amritraj featured on the Tennis Channel. She talked about several aspects of her glorious journey in the sport, mentioning how it felt to win titles against Serena and Venus Williams. “Winning trophies, grand slams are the most amazing, everything, just everything,” she said, finding it hard to collect words amid the extreme levels of excitement.

Muguruza retired with a total of two grand slam titles in her name. However, what makes these victories even more remarkable is the fact that she defeated both the Williams sisters in the finals to win these titles. Looking at the specifics, the tennis star earned the French Open title back in 2016 where she defeated Serena Williams.

Moving ahead on the hunt for another major win, she managed to dominate over Venus Williams at Wimbledon back in 2017. As she stands over two major victories snatched from two of the best players that the sport has ever seen, her achievements stand to be remarkable. With immense glory in her name, the Spaniard now looks forward to exploring other elements in her life.

Garbine Muguruza states the reason for her retirement

Besides talking about her grand slam wins over the Williams sisters, Garbine Muguruza also gave out the reason behind calling time on her professional tennis career. While everyone appears to be sad or at least serious about ending their journeys, the Spaniard appeared happy and satisfied about it.

“Well it was quite easy for me. I know for some athletes it takes a long time to decide but for me, it was kind of natural,” she said, stating the reason behind a sudden call for exit. Along with that, she also stated the reason behind her exit, stating, “I just felt the need to move on in life and the lack of excitement and just to look forward to other chapters in my life.”

As the WTA star finally hangs her racket after spending a major part of her life in the sport, it still remains to be seen if the ‘other chapters’ of her life revolve around the sport.

Life took an exhilarating turn for Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian back in September 2017 with the arrival of their daughter, Olympia. Needless to say, Ohanian ensures that he never forgets this special feeling as his life truly revolves around Olympia. Sharing snippets from his hectic work trip, Alexis Ohanian recently showcases how he tries his best possible methods to keep his daughter happy.

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently went on a work trip. However, that is not the surprising fact here. Being a social media nerd, Ohanian shared two pictures on his official Instagram story that reminded fans that he is an adorable father. Ohanian shared the picture of a menu at first and added a caption that read– “My driver recommended and we stopped in for a bite before the flight. So good.” However, in the next story, fans spotted the picture of a cake slice with another caption– “Takeaway for Olympia!” After this, it didn’t take long for people to understand that Ohanian was grabbing this dessert for his princess as he enjoyed the food at his newfound restaurant.

Olympia Ohanian is truly her father’s apple of the eye. From making her cartoon-shaped pancakes to showing off Olympia’s exclusive Nike sneakers, Alexis Ohanian knows no limit to showcasing how much his daughter means to him. Presenting her daughter’s golf skills, proud father Ohanian previously wrote in X (formerly Twitter)- “Jr is so much better than me and I’m taking matters into my own hands and getting lessons… And now I’ve got #TheMasters on TV cheering our LAGC guys on. What a perfect Sunday,”

Alexis Ohanian’s love for his daughter surely impressed his fans. However, Ohanian is yet to be satisfied about pampering his daughter. Serena Williams’s talented husband surprised the fraternity by dropping the most adorable birthday wish for Olympia.

Alexis Ohanian reveals being a “better man” for his daughter Olympia

Serena Williams’s businessman husband already made a buzz showcasing his extreme admiration for his wife and love for his elder daughter Olympia. However, this Reddit co-founder surprised everyone when he shared his most amazing birthday wish for his daughter. On Olympia’s fifth birthday, Ohanian shared a selfie following other cute pictures with her daughter on Instagram.

He wrote in the caption– “ How are you already 5️⃣ @olympiaohanian ?? I love you more every single day, you’ve made me a better man, and I’m so grateful your mama brought you into this world I’m gonna Uppy you forever! I started @776fund thanks to you and it shares your birthday thanks @katelin_cruse @elisabethgarvin – these last two years have been otherworldly,” he continued. “And thank you @christinatosi & @milkbarstore for a very memorable ‘caking’ session.”

Alexis Ohanian’s adorable gestures for his daughter tell about his personality to the fans. It also showcases why daughters are always a little bit extra closer to their fathers than their mothers.

“I really love Madrid, you guys are unbelievable. You make this tournament special.” This is exactly what Aryna Sabalenka said after putting an end to Danielle Collins’ 15-match winning streak. After that, she defeated the Russian teenage tennis sensation, Mirra Andreeva in the QF by 6-1,6-4. Her incredible performances in Madrid year after year depict why the tournament is as special to her as she is for this tournament! Aryna Sabalenka is the ultimate champion in Madrid and her records speak for herself!

Aryna Sabalenka currently has a win-loss record of 16-3 in the Spanish capital. And if we take a deeper look at her statistics in this tournament, well then only Serena Williams and Simona Halep have won more consecutive matches at the Mutua Madrid Open than the Belarusian tennis beauty!

American tennis legend, Serena Williams won 19 matches between  2010-2015 in this tournament. While the Romanian superstar, Simona Halep has won a total of 15 matches between 2016-2018. The two-time champion of the Madrid Open, Aryna Sabalenka currently sits at the third spot with a 10-match winning streak. Can she extend it further with a win in her next match?

Well, Aryna Sabalenka has either won it all in Madrid as she did in the 2021 and 2023 seasons or she has gone out in the first round of the tournament (as she did in the 2018,2019 and 2022 editions). So, either she loses her first match or she wins the title. The first possibility is already ruled out, but the second one is still alive!

Sabalenka will take on the world number 4, Elena Rybakina in her next match. Currently, the Aryna Sabalenka leads their head-to-head with a 5-3 margin. Aryna Sabalenka’s powerful and aggressive style of play will be tested against a player with a similar style of play. Sabalenka’s game style was in the news after her emphatic Madrid Open triumph last year.

Aryna Sabalenka has always idolized Williams. During a press conference at the 2023 Italian Open, Sabalenka’s playing style was compared to ‘The Queen of the Court.‘ Replying to those murmurs, she clearly stated, “I don’t know. I don’t think about that. That sounds good, you know (smiling)? I don’t know. I’m not thinking about that. I’m not focusing on that.”

Sabalenka smiled and added, “I’m just focusing on improving myself and getting better every day. Yeah, that’s it. I’m not really thinking about that. It sounds crazy and it sounds good to be really strong.” Serena Williams’ similar style of play landed a total of 23 Grand Slam titles in her trophy cabinet. Aryna Sabalenka has won 2 major titles so far in her career. It will be interesting to see if she can add more to her bags this season. But talking about breaking records, she loves demolishing them and rebuilding them on her own terms!