Serena Williams Returns to Wimbledon After Four Years in an Eyelet Nike Tennis Dress
The GOAT is back to claim her on-court style crown.
Athletes-turned-fashion girls like Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have held down the Wimbledon fort for Serena Williams since 2022. On June 30, the GOAT reclaimed her Centre Court crown in an eyelet skirt set, which Nike crafted just for her Wimbledon return.
Hundreds of fans—including her sister, Venus Williams—cheered during the champion's highly anticipated tunnel walk. She honored the tournament's white dress code, but with a twist. Well-proportioned holes punctured both her warm-up jacket and thigh-length skort. Unlike crochet cut-outs—which are harder to keep consistently sized—the openings were just sheer enough, without making Wimbledon officials bat an eye.
Serena Williams entered Wimbledon 2026's Centre Court in an eyelet skirt set from Nike.
Nike’s red, navy, and Swoosh-topped emblem confirmed that the NikeCourt Heritage collection—which dates back to the ’90s—brought Williams’s nostalgic kit to life. (Sabrina Carpenter's vintage tennis dress at the 2026 World Cup sported the same logo.)
Williams warmed up for her first Wimbledon match since 2022 in the eyelet Nike look.
Once she took off her warm-up layer, Nike's recognizable branding returned atop her eyelet tank top and matching wristbands. White and emerald green trim decorated her sleeveless tank's cropped hem, as well as her skirt's waistband.
To finish, Williams accessorized with itty-bitty hoop earrings, her 14-carat engagement ring, and the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X sneakers seen during her HSBC Championships match, except in white with iridescent blue sidewalls. Unfortunately, Williams won't advance to the next Ladies Singles match. But her lifelike diamond nails proved she's the tennis queen, trophy or not.
Williams's first Wimbledon 2026 serve spotlighted her custom Nike gear.
Serena Williams and Wimbledon go way back, which is why her circa-2026 comeback is such a big deal. After making her singles debut in 1998, Williams secured her first Wimbledon title in 2002. Puma was her leading sponsor at the time, so she competed against her sister Venus Williams in a sleeveless, stark-white tennis dress from the German athletic label. Metallic gold trim shined as brightly as the then-20-year-old's first Venus Rosewater Dish.
Serena Williams won her first Wimbledon in 2002 in a white Puma tennis dress.
Wimbledon requires its players to wear all-white during matches. Meanwhile, Williams established her own dress code as a seven-time singles and six-time doubles champion: To this day, her thigh-length skirts don't stay still. Whether they're pleated, ruffled, or petticoated, her tennis dresses must swish with every legendary serve. She's also not above elevating the dress code in the name of fashion.
Marking her first Wimbledon with Nike, her 2004 singles streak ended in a sleeveless, gladiator-inspired tennis dress. The Oregon sportswear brand slashed her drop-waist skirt into two-inch-wide tassels, which mirrored Roman and Greek warrior armor. Then, metallic gold panels broke up her waist's all-white, Nike-branded spandex.
22 years ago, Williams made headlines for her gladiator-esque tennis dress.
Williams has also been known to play with pops of color beneath her tennis dresses. During her Wimbledon 2010 walk-on, tournament officials were completely unaware of the strawberry red shorts underneath her little white Nike dress. Once she got in the groove of the match, their borderline neon hue became unmissable.
Williams surprised spectators with bright red shorts underneath her Wimbledon 2010 dress.
Later on in her Wimbledon career, Williams's tennis attire followed the colorless dress code more than ever. Not a single splash of red or gold intercepted her high-neck Nike dress during Wimbledon 2016's final Ladies Singles match. What the pleated mini skirt lacked in vibrancy, it more than made up for with free-floating volume.
Williams respected the all-white dress code to a T in 2016.
For her most recent Wimbledon match in 2022, Williams abided by the dress code again, no questions asked. Instead, she switched up her silhouette with semi-sheer long sleeves, a zip-up bodice, and monochrome floral print along the hemline.
Despite losing in the first-round match, Williams still took home a prize: Her reported 14-carat engagement ring from now-husband Alexis Ohanian. Fans suspect the oval-cut sparkler will return to Wimbledon's Centre Court alongside Williams.
Williams bid farewell to Wimbledon in all-white, only to return four years later.
It's worth noting Serena Williams stuck to the tournament's signature color before her first official match. Earlier this week, she was spotted on the practice court in a white Nike tank top, a matching tennis skirt, and capri-length leggings. The hot pink handle on her Wilson racket let her maximalist personality shine through just a bit.
Williams channeled the same subtle splash of color during her first Wimbledon 2026 match, staying true to herself with a bold manicure and a neon racket.
