23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has been declared the best dressed female athlete by American publication Sports Illustrated.
The ‘most fashionable list’ was compiled by a series of experts from the fashion industry in collaboration with Sports Illustrated. 35-year-old Williams is ranked third in the top-50 list, which is the highest ranking for a female athlete and a tennis player. She is currently absent from the tour due to pregnancy, but still intends to remain a style icon in the world of sport.
“I definitely plan to remain stylish and wear heels throughout the pregnancy. I’m really looking forward to making a statement by showing the bump off. I am proud of my body and want my clothing to reflect that. If anything, I hope that I’ll be even more stylish during pregnancy than I normally am!” She told si.com.
Instyle magazine editor Faye Penn, who was one of the experts to contribute to the list, has hailed Williams’ fashion sense. Penn has more than 20 years experience of working as an editor, covering a variety of New York based publications and websites.
“Strong isn’t just sexy, it’s incredibly chic in Serena Williams’ case. Power is her style statement, and everything flows from that.” Said Penn.
One place below Williams is Roger Federer. Federer was previously named the most stylish man of 2016 by GQ Magazine following an online vote. In a final showdown with actor Tom Hiddleston, he won more than 60% of the vote.
The only other player to make the top-20 was Maria Sharapova. Sharapova, who returned to the tour in April following a doping ban, placed tenth on the list.
“Everything looks great on model-athlete Maria Sharapova, who’s lately been acing the elusive art of casual cool street style.” Penn commented about the Russian.
The most fashionable athlete in the world according to Sports Illustrated is NBA player Russell Westbrook. The 28-year-old has played for Oklahoma City Thunder since 2008.
