Style Points: Lacoste taps into its tennis roots with Venus Williams as global ambassador

Who wore what? Style Points breaks down the latest collabs, kits and fashion statements from around the tennis world.

It’s been a busy week for the globetrotting Venus and Serena Williams, who have been spotted front row at various Fashion Week shows across Europe and at red carpets in the U.S.

While Serena walked in Off-White’s final tribute show for the late Virgil Abloh in Paris, Venus was holding court on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Santa Monica and attending the Batman premiere in New York. It was Venus who stole the headlines, however, with the news that she had become the new global brand ambassador for Lacoste.

Founded in 1933 by French tennis champion Rene Lacoste, the sportswear label was a fashion groundbreaker when it was first created: Lacoste invented the first polo shirt, and was also the first brand to feature its logo on the outside of their clothing.

The luxury sportswear brand tapped into its strong tennis roots with the appointment of Venus as global ambassador, making the announcement with a photoshoot and spread in British Vogue.

Lacoste is in the midst of a creative reincarnation, as artistic director Louise Trotter transforms the heritage tennis brand from a preppy uniform into a new contemporary staple. The result is a sport and street hybrid that leans into its famous alligator logo with fresh takes on color and fabric and updated silhouettes.

“I can get a little bit emotional, because I’m a big tennis fan and having the opportunity to work with someone that you have so much respect for… she’s a true trailblazer,” Trotter told Vogue. “I have so much respect for Venus, not just for her amazing game, but her values and the way she sees life. What she’s achieved not only as an athlete, but as a human in really pushing for women and equality and empowerment… for me, that’s such an incredible message.”

Venus herself said that she is taking the partnership as an opportunity to learn from Trotter, who became the first woman to lead creative at Lacoste when she took the reins in 2018.

“Her clothes really transform you once you put them on,” Venus said. “Working with Louise makes me feel like I want to be better; I want to work harder; I want to dig deeper inside of myself.”

Venus has spent a decade and a half as founder and creative director of her own activewear line, EleVen by Venus Williams. It’s far from a celebrity vanity project in the 15 years since its launch in 2007, carving out a niche in a market dominated by the likes of Nike and Adidas.

So now, the question will be if Venus will incorporate Lacoste items into her on-court wardrobe as well. Will she continue to wear her EleVen line the next time we see her, or will the 41-year-old be decked out in the alligator logo like Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev?

Baseline reached out to Team Venus and Lacoste to inquire about the nature of the partnership, but both parties declined to comment. But looking back to Venus’ tenure as global ambassador for another heritage tennis brand, K-Swiss, can give us some clues. That partnership, which launched in 2020, involved Venus still continuing to wear EleVen on court as always, but with K-Swiss footwear after parting ways with Nike. Venus also co-designed footwear and created pieces for three EleVen x K-Swiss capsule collections.

Before we can start to wonder whether she’ll wear EleVen or Lacoste the next time she hits the court, we’ll have to wait and see where the former world No. 1 will play next.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen either Venus or Serena on the tennis courts—it’s been seven months since Venus’ last appearance in Chicago in August, and even longer since Serena fell in the first round at Wimbledon in July. Venus is currently ranked No. 470, while Serena sits at No. 240.