Serena Williams’ mantel is probably crowded between her 23 Grand Slam singles trophies, 14 main doubles titles and 4 Olympic gold medals. Now, she’ll have to discover room for her new signature Barbie.
Mattel is celebrating International Day of the Girl by honoring the tennis legend with a Barbie Signature doll, formally becoming a member of Team Barbie, a group of athletes and position fashions that encourage confidence in younger women.
“Growing up, I didn’t see many girls who looked like me being told there was no limit to who they could become. I want every girl who plays with this doll to see possibility — not just in me, but in herself,” Williams said in a assertion shared with USA TODAY Sports. “She can dream big, work hard, change direction, break barriers, and become anything she chooses. That’s what makes having my own Barbie so meaningful to me.”
More: Venus Williams Barbie honors tennis legend’s push for equal rights
Inspired by Serena Williams’ iconic championship victory in at the 2005 Australian Open, her signature Barbie doll pays homage to the look from her triumphant return to Grand Slam champion and seventh singles title win.
When it comes to choosing which legendary outfit Williams would be memorialized in, Mattel had lots of inspiration. They could’ve chosen Williams’ iconic denim tennis skirt from the 2004 US Open. Or her edgy black catsuit worn at the 2018 French Open, her first Grand Slam since giving delivery to her daughter, Olympia, in September 2017. Mattel could’ve occasion taken it back to her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 US Open, where she stole the highlight in her colourful beads and yellow Puma costume.
Ultimately, Williams’ look from her 2005 Australian Open win was chosen. Williams’ Barbie is sporting a neon inexperienced and white mesh cutout prime and white skirt equivalent to the set she wore to defeat fellow American Lindsay Davenport 2–6, 6–3, 6–0 in the remaining. Her outfit is full with a matching sweatband, knee-high boots and a tennis racket in hand. “What a fun outfit,” Williams recalled during her Barbie reveal.
Serena Williams formally joins Team Barbie, a group of highly effective athletes and position fashions who show women how confidence and ambition can help them pursue their desires.
The 2005 Australian Open marked Williams’ triumphant return to the Grand Slam circuit after ending the 2004 calendar yr with an stomach harm. It marked the first yr since 2001 that Williams hadn’t won a Grand Slam singles title, main some to query if the dominance of Williams and her sister Venus Williams was over.
“No, we’re not declining. We’re here,” Williams said in January 2005. “I don’t have to win (the Australian Open) to prove anything. I know that I’m out here and I know that I’m one of the best players out here.”
Williams won the event anyway. It was the seventh Grand Slam singles title of her profession. She would win 16 more by 2017. The Barbie Signature Serena Williams Doll will be out there to buy online on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Mattel Creations, Target and other mass retailers.
Williams, who welcomed daughter Adira in August 2023, said she’s “excited” for her doll because “my girls love playing Barbies.” Williams also made notice of the “strong muscles in my legs. I love that.”
“As we celebrate International Day of the Girl, Barbie is proud to honor Serena Williams. Barbie hasalways inspired girls to believe they can be anything, from the sports stadium to the fashion runway tothe boardroom,” Nathan Baynard, vice president and head of Barbie, Mattel, said in a assertion. “Serena Williams embodies that message through her extraordinary achievements as an athlete, entrepreneur, and advocate for equality. By honoring her with a Barbie Signature doll, we’re celebrating a barrier-breaking icon whose legacy empowers fans everywhere to dream big and embrace their own potential.”
Williams is not the only tennis legend to get the Barbie remedy in her family. Venus Williams was honored during Barbie’s Inspiring Women Series in August 2025. Venus Williams’ doll is dressed in the same outfit she wore during her 2007 Wimbledon win, paying homage to the first yr the ladies’s and males’s singles champions earned equal prize money at the event.
“Wimbledon 2007 was a huge moment in my career — not just because I won, but because of what was happening off the court,” Williams instructed USA TODAY Sports at the time. “Championing for equal prize money wasn’t just about me, it was about pushing for change for all women in sports. To see that moment honored with a Barbie doll is incredibly special. I hope it inspires young girls to speak up, believe in themselves, and know they have the power to change the game too.”
The USA TODAY app gets you to the coronary heart of the information — Download for award-winning protection, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: Serena Williams ‘excited’ to play with her new signature Barbie doll with daughters
Source hyperlink
