Serena Williams Styles Her Balmain Mini Dress With Metallic Rainbow Christian Louboutin Heels

The tennis icon selected the perfect outfit for her surprise appearance.

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Serena Williams speaks at the 2025 Induction Celebration weekend at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 23, 2025
(Image credit: Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images for International Tennis Hall of Fame)

After her sister, Venus Williams, wore a custom Khaite tennis dress at the US Open, Serena Williams found the ideal outfit for a surprise appearance on Saturday, August 23. The tennis icon helped induct fellow player Maria Sharapova into the Tennis Hall of Fame, and she combined a Balmain mini dress with metallic rainbow heels to do so.

Serena's baby blue Balmain Short-Sleeve Flechage Knit Flare Mini Dress retails for $3,090, and features gold statement buttons and a tiered, flared skirt. Akin to a high-end tennis outfit, the superstar's Balmain mini dress was the ideal choice for the occasion.

Speaking at Sharapova's induction ceremony, Serena said (via USA Today), "There are only a few players in my career who challenged me to be the very best, every single time we stepped out on the court...Maria Sharapova was one of them. Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder."

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Serena paired the fitted mini dress with a sold-out pair of Christian Louboutin "So Kate" pumps, in an ombré rainbow design. While the tennis legend's exact heels are no longer available to shop, similar styles in metallic shades can be found online.

In an Instagram post, Serena reflected on her evolving friendship with Sharapova. "Maria's career as her dad put it yesterday—started with me and last night ended with me inducting her into the tennis hall of fame," the famed player wrote. "I'm probably the last person you expected to see standing here tonight. Honestly, a few years ago, I would've said the same thing. But years after getting to know her better—we now call each other friends. And when a friend calls you answer."

Serena continued, "This is women supporting each other and respecting each other's greatness. Congratulations @mariasharapova it is my honor—as her former rival, her forever fan, and now, her forever friend—to welcome Maria Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame."

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Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.