Williams sisters now business moguls
Having owned the world of women’s tennis for the past few years, Venus and Serena Williams have decided to branch out into business, and start a couple entrepreneurial empires of their own. Both sisters have taken up touring schedules to promote their respective business ventures, giving rise to mild speculations about possible shift from their mega-successful pro tennis careers into lucrative business endeavors. Serena Williams has recently launched a clothing line, while Venus Williams has co-authored a book entitled “Come to Win”.
Currently ranked as the world number one after yet another grass court Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon past July, Serena Williams has recently given much focus to her clothing line, launched last year. Older sister Venus Williams currently holds the world number three spot, and is giving much focus to book promotion following her disappointing exit from Wimbledon 2010 after her shocking loss to world No. 82 Svetlana Pironkova.
Serena Williams springs into fashion
Having teamed up with HSN last year, Serena Williams has released a line of women’s accessories. The line includes jewelry, handbags, and knits with a classic, feminine appeal. Williams has named the collection Signature Statements, stating: “I always want to make a statement, both on and off the court. One of my dreams has always been to share gorgeous gifts of fashion and luxury with the world. Off the court, my passion is fashion. Signature Statement is my own line of accessories and fashion, complete from jewelry to dresses.”
The fashion line may not come as too much of a surprise, as Serena Williams is no stranger to donning trendy, yet sporty apparel on court.
Venus Williams promoting new book
Unfazed by her loss to Bulgarian world No. 82 Pironkova, Venus Williams was in Los Angeles at the Farmers Classic on Friday, promoting her book “Come to Win”. The eldest Williams has spent a considerable amount of time after her Wimbledon exit, traveling to promote sales of her new book.
The world number three received an enthusiastic response from the crowd, evidenced by a relatively lengthy book signing line on Friday in Los Angeles. Williams has coauthored the book with Kelly Carter, a sportswriter hailing from Orange County. Ironically enough, the book highlights the experiences of male and female athletes who eventually came to excel in a field outside of sports, while maintaining their prestige as world-class athletes.
Williams noted that the book writing process spanned a total of two years, and although “Come to Win” has already met with considerable success, it is unlikely that Williams will carry on as an author following her retirement from professional tennis.
Off-court action for the Williams’
Despite the majority of players on the WTA tour taking part in warm-up tournaments in preparation for the upcoming 2010 US Open, both Williams sisters have decided to opt out of on-court action. Neither sister participated at the Farmers Classic, and neither is confirmed at La Costa for next week.
According to sources, Serena Williams is taking a break due to a foot injury, having just had minor surgery to repair a cut.
Both sisters were physically present at the Farmers Classic, though both opted out of tennis action, choosing to promote their alternate career ventures instead. With an encased foot, Serena Williams posed for pictures with James Blake, flying to Florida soon afterwards for an on-air promotion of her clothing and jewelry line with the Home Shopping Network.
Venus Williams was hesitant to discuss her sister’s injury, simply saying that Serena was fighting through it.
With so much time devoted to promotional tours, it will be interesting to see how the sisters will fare at the US Open at the end of the month.
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