Even after almost 30 years on the WTA Tour, Venus Williams continues to push boundaries of women’s tennis fashion and introduce fearless looks to the court. Playing the first round of Montreal, the 43-year-old complemented her red EleVen outfit with a red lipstick, reinventing the unwritten rule that athletes don’t wear makeup or wear very little natural-looking makeup.
While she lost to fellow American Madison Keys 6-2 7-5 on Monday night at the National Bank Open, the seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams reasserted her position as a tennis fashion icon. In an encounter between two former Montreal runners-up, Williams boldly ushered in innovative styles onto the court.
Dressed in a vibrant red tank top from her own sports apparel company, EleVen, Venus paired it seamlessly with a skirt of the same striking hue. The skirt boasted a striped elastic waistband for added flair. To top off her ensemble, she confidently sported a red lipstick, making a statement that’s akin to a mini-revolution in the WTA fashion. This marks a departure from the norm of tennis players not using nighttime makeup during their matches.
That’s not all. Venus sported pink hair extensions and her braided hair was gathered into a casually chic high bun. Rounding out the memorable look were square-shaped stud earrings and two discreet necklaces.
To complete the story about Venus’ equipment, let’s also mention that she wears Lacoste tennis shoes and carries her Wilson Blade tennis racquet in a large red Wilson tennis bag.
This is the boldest makeup a WTA player has ever worn on the court, but it’s not the first time Venus is introducing new makeup trends in tennis. For example, look at this photo from the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, when Venus wore a winged eyeliner and chunky hoop earrings.
On a side note, American Airlines sent Venus’ luggage to the Bahamas instead of Montreal and she didn’t manage to retrieve it until her first-round match, even though she had spent three days calling the company. “I think I spent all my unlimited minutes calling you all, which has become my full-time job day and night,” Venus addressed American Airlines in an Instagram story.
