Venus Williams wears sponsor Lacoste's apparel for 1st time in Indian Wells 1R, weeks after pausing operations of her signature brand EleVen

Venus Williams was recently spotted sporting Lacoste apparel for the first time at Indian Wells during her first-round match. This shift occurred after she temporarily halted operations of her signature brand, EleVen.

In 2022, Venus Williams was appointed as the global ambassador for the luxury sports fashion French company, Lacoste. Her role was to embody Lacoste's new vision, specifically designed to cater to the contemporary lives of women. For her debut campaign, the former World No. 1 was featured wearing the brand's latest unisex collection, which included dresses, shirts, coats, and accessories.

A fashion enthusiast herself, Venus Williams holds an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and launched her fashion-forward activewear brand EleVen in 2007.

Since the inception of EleVen, Williams exclusively wore apparel from her brand during matches. Even after signing with Lacoste, the former World No. 1 continued to wear her brand's apparel on the court.

Last month, Williams announced a temporary pause in operations at EleVen to "refine strategies." As a result, the seven-time Grand Slam champion was spotted sporting Lacoste apparel during her first-round match at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Following a challenging 2023 season marred by injuries, which caused her to miss the entire North American hard-court swing minus the US Open, Venus Williams made a comeback to the circuit this season at Tennis Paradise.

Williams received a wild card for the WTA 1000 event. She went up against qualifier Nao Hibino in the first round but the match was suspended due to constant rainfall.

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Venus Williams last competed at Indian Wells in 2019

Williams at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open

Venus Williams made a return to Indian Wells this year after a five-year absence, marking her first appearance at the tournament since 2019.

During the 2019 edition, Williams had an impressive quarterfinal run. She kicked off the tournament by defeating Andrea Petkovic in a thrilling match that ended 6-4, 0-6, 6-3. In the second round, she faced off against Petra Kvitova and emerged victorious with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Continuing her winning streak, the former World No. 1 went on to defeat compatriot Christina McHale in straight sets (6-2, 7-5) in the third round, followed by a solid victory over Germany's Mona Barthel with a score of 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. However, Williams' impressive campaign came to an end in the quarterfinals when she was defeated by Angelique Kerber in a match that ended 6-7, 3-6.