Venus Williams

Tennis champion, fashion icon and entrepreneur

“I’ve always wanted to be in the Pirelli Calendar and now I’m finally here. I’m in great company; it’s filled with creative, powerful, amazing women. 2026 is my year”

Venus Williams has risen to rare heights in her own field – 49 WTA singles titles to her name, including seven majors and four Olympic medals – and she recognises talent when she sees it. So when the photographer Sølve Sundsbø asked her what she wanted to do for the Pirelli Calendar shoot, she replied instantly, “No, what do YOU want? You’re the pro here!” And she was delighted when he settled on the element of “fire” for her portrait…

“I think it’s perfect and represents who I am as a person. I’m very passionate, I’m never afraid, fire just takes over, just as I take over in my own life. It represents the player I’ve always been: power, controlled aggression and strength. Today, I was becoming one with the fire. We got one shot where fire was coming out of my hands and out of my body”

And while Williams is the first to say she isn’t a model, she’s always felt confident in herself:

“I’ve always felt strong and beautiful. I don’t think I ever celebrated physicality, but I practised it from a very young age. My whole life is about being strong, the ultimate level of performance”

Williams is still committed to her sport and, in particular, remains passionate about pay equity. In 2023, she received the inaugural US Open Billie Jean King Champion of Equality Award, acknowledging her continued dedication to promoting and levelling the playing field for athletes. But now that she has taken time off from the court, she says it’s interesting to be in “a different part of life”.

“It’s been amazing to discover life and even discover normal things, so I am not afraid of a life without sports”

Beyond the world of tennis, Williams has spent many years fine-tuning her business acumen across design, fashion, entertainment, health and wellness, including becoming, with her sister Serena, the first Black women to hold a stake in an NFL team, joining the ownership group of the Miami Dolphins. Venus has also long been immersed in the world of design and is co-founder of an award-winning full-service commercial and residential design firm, V Starr, as well as Palazzo, an innovative interior-design platform powered by the latest cutting-edge AI technology. That’s in addition to her plant-based protein company, Happy Viking. So what’s her view of creativity?

“Creativity starts in your mind, your thoughts, how you think, how you solve problems, how you see the world, how you enjoy your surroundings. You don’t have to suddenly pick up a paintbrush or a camera. It starts from within”

And as for relaxing – there’s one place that Williams goes to make the most of nature and enjoy the outdoors:

“I spend a lot of time in beautiful Jupiter, Florida. There’s a lot of water – it’s so hot you can probably catch fire too! But it’s beautiful. And I love going to rejuvenate there, you wake up and feel very alive and like you can do anything!”