TIME Magazine has revealed its latest cover star, and it’s none other than legendary tennis player Serena Williams.
The black and white cover features the celebrated athlete with her head titled high in a side profile shot. Under the “Time” title, the words “The Greatest” appear. The cover focuses purely on Serena, with the only fashion details being a small earring that says Ma and the hint of an athletic tank top.
The caption on Time’s Instagram post for the cover refers to Serena as “the greatest female athlete of all time — check that: perhaps the greatest athlete of all time,” and goes on to discuss how after all her years as a professional tennis player, she is finally retiring. Williams announced in the interview for her recent August Vogue cover that she would retire from tennis, although she also says she doesn’t like the word retirement.
Following the U.S. Open, after 27 years, 23 singles majors, 14 in doubles, two more in mixed doubles, and four Olympic gold medals, Williams will shift her focus to other endeavors. Just last week, Williams arrived at the New York Stock Exchange wearing one of her S by Serena dresses and Serena Williams jewelry to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Williams took her venture capital company, Serena Ventures, public.
Watch on FN
The focus of Serena Ventures is to invest in companies with diverse viewpoints. Her fashion line, S by Serena, has been in production since 2018.
The Instagram caption in Time’s post goes on to praise Williams for changing behavioral expectations for female athletes, and by extension women in all workplaces, by exuding power and passion — and bringing her full self — to her hard-court office.
The cover photo for Time was shot by Paola Kudacki, who has also shot notable celebrities including Stella Maxwell, Jacob Elordi, and Dakota Johnson.
