Serena Willams Returns to the Court With Nike Tennis Shoes on Foot

Serena Williams made her anticipated return to professional women’s singles tennis at Wimbledon on Tuesday with tennis shoes from her longtime partner Nike helping to keep her steady on the court.

Williams laced up a pair of the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X tennis shoes, a style which was introduced in 2017. She wore a white version of the sneaker with a light pink Swoosh and iridescent detailing. She had the same Air Zoom Vapor X shoes on foot when she practiced ahead of her first match as well.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion faced off against Maya Joint of Australia (who wore Adidas) in round one of the London tournament. For her first singles match since 2022, the tennis legend also showcased a white eyelet tennis kit from Nike, the brand which helped her tease her recent return to tennis through social media.

Williams’ reunion with professional tennis began with playing doubles with Victoria Mboko at the HSBC Championships in London (where she wore pink Nike Air Zoom Vapor X shoes), followed by a doubles appearance at the Berlin Open in Germany alongside Karolína Muchová. Later on at Wimbledon, she will reunite with her sister Venus Williams for the ladies’ doubles competition, which they have won six times together in the past.

In terms of her on-court shoe style through her years, Williams shifted from wearing Puma, her first brand ambassadorship, to Nike styles once she inked a deal with the brand in 2003. Key styles for her in her career have included the Nike Air Max Mirabella and the NikeCourt Flare sneakers which the company developed in partnership with the athlete.

Williams is known to get creative with her court fashions, and this extends to her footwear. Some of her standout styles have included a sneaker worn in 2018 which was part of a collaboration with Virgil Abloh and Off-White featuring signature details of the late designer’s brand; and a player exclusive NikeCourt Flare 2 sneaker worn in 2022 boasting a diamond-encrusted Swoosh and solid gold lace deubrés designed by Serena Williams Jewelry.