"I am hard-pressed to think of another athlete where we have incorporated diamonds into their kit, not one that comes to mind" - Nike VP Tanya Hvizdak sheds light on Serena Williams' stunning US Open outfit

Serena Williams lasted only three rounds at the 2022 US Open, but it is safe to say no one has made more of an impact at the tournament than the 23-time Grand Slam champion. Playing in her farewell tournament in front of her home fans, the American defeated Danka Kovinic and World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in her first two matches before falling to Ajla Tomljanovic in an extraordinary three-setter.

She did all of that while wearing a Nike outfit for the ages: a six-layered figure-skating inspired dress, customized shoes with diamond lace locks, solid gold deubrés embedded with 400 diamond crystals and a diamond-styled hairdo to go with it.

Speaking in a recent interview with Boardroom, Nike's Vice President Tanya Hvizdak touched on how the outfit came together. Hvizdak remarked that Williams was heavily involved in the details and that she herself decided on the storyline she wanted the kit to speak of.

"We know the athlete really well, so sometimes, we’ll bring in potential storylines and things for [Serena Williams] to respond to, but she is involved in the details and she is involved in sharing the things that she would like to show up in and the storyline that she thinks will cut through," Hvizdak said.

Regarding the figure-skating aspect, Hvizdak revealed that the former World No. 1 appreciates the beauty and intricacy of the sport and that Nike's team helped her build on that base to create an outfit that served as an homage to her own career.

"[Serena Williams] obviously had an appreciation for the skating aspect, and just the beauty and intricacy of it," Hvizdak said. "Our team tried to bring in notable aspects in regards to how many grand slams [she’s won] and the six layers [representing her six US Open wins], but then also paying homage to the other things she’s involved in, like her jewelry line. She has final sign off, and it’s her outfit."

Tanya Hvizdak further added that she could not think of a single athlete other than the 40-year-old who could have pulled off a diamond-studded outfit during an actual professional match.

"I am hard-pressed to think of another athlete where we have incorporated diamonds into their arena of sport kit," Hvizdak said. "There’s not one that comes to mind. We’ve made [special edition] products for athletes that had gold or diamonds, but not in their arena of sport and for play."

"We helped her show up spectacularly, and she looked phenomenal" - Tanya Hvizdak on Serena Williams' catsuit outfit at the 2018 French Open

Serena Williams at the 2018 French Open

In addition to her diamond shoes, Nike also presented Serena Williams with four Air Force 1s, all inspired by some of her iconic past outfits. Tanya Hvizdak expanded on those as well, remarking that she loved that they got the opportunity to present Williams with a piece of her own history during her farewell tournament.

"They’re all pretty spectacular, and I love the fact that all of them are moments [and] time-based on her journey," Hvizdak said. "We were listening to [Serena Williams'] voice and how she felt she would perform her best with how she showed up. Whether she was feeling a bit of flash, or if she really wanted to collaborate with Virgil [Abloh]."

Among her previous outfits, Hvizdak picked the controversial catsuit kit from the 2018 French Open as her favorite, noting that it felt good to help the 23-time Grand Slam champion in her time of need.

The outfit came with long pants instead of the traditional skirt, designed in a manner to help the former World No. 1 with blood circulation. This was needed in light of the blood clots she developed due to her pregnancy.

But the outfit was banned by tournament organizers for breaking tradition, before the decision was redacted due to widespread public outcry. Being a mother herself, Hvizdak remarked that she had a special attachment to the dress, adding that Serena Williams looked "phenomenal" in it.

"The one that really sticks out, honestly, is the [black and red] catsuit. I feel like we met her where she was in terms of her physical needs," Hvizdak said. "Yet, we helped her show up spectacularly, and [Serena Williams] looked phenomenal. That’s one of my personal favorites, and being a mom, I kind of have an attachment to that one."

Also check out:- US Open 2022 Schedule