Serena Williams is one of the richest tennis players of all time. Her earnings, on and off the court, are on par with elite male players. This is despite most tournaments having lesser prize money and brands offering smaller endorsement deals to women players than their male counterparts. Williams, however, offset the trend with a big-money contract with Puma early in her career.
Unafraid to be in the limelight, Williams revolutionised fashion in women’s tennis. From playing with beaded braids and denim skirts to designing her own bold outfits, she led the way in making women’s tennis fashion a global phenomenon. She has donned everything from glittery dresses to neon outfits to full-body catsuits. And it all began when a teenage Williams struck a mega deal with Puma that filled her with confidence to stand apart.
Serena wore Puma from 1998 to 2003
Williams has been a long-time Nike athlete but before that, she was sponsored by Puma during her earliest years as a pro. The deal was inked in February 1998, five months after a marathon meeting between Puma executives and a barely 16-year-old Williams and her father, Richard. The German company was not involved with tennis back then but did not want to lose out on the teenager’s talent. As the meeting went on for over 12 hours, Puma’s CEO, in Germany, was called in the middle of the night to sign a multi-year multi-million deal.
In her autobiography On the Line, Serena wrote about her association with Puma. She said more than just a sponsorship, it symbolized someone believing in her. As a company that exited tennis in the 1980s and yet going for an unproven teenager, both parties knew that the deal was a gamble. Williams recounted the moment she received her first batch of apparel from Puma, saying that is when she felt complete as a player (via Andscape).
“I wanted a sponsor. I wanted someone to believe in me. It wasn’t just Puma taking a chance on me. It was me taking a chance on Puma. It cut both ways.”
“It was this moment, going through this giant box of Puma gear that all fit perfectly, where I felt I’d finally arrived as a player.”
In her first meeting with the designers, Williams showed up with well-prepared sketches of designs for her outfits. Amy Denet Deal was the first designer to create an attire for the American. Deal made the yellow dress Serena wore during her maiden Grand Slam win, the 1999 US Open.
While it was relatively tame compared to what the 24-time Majors winner would go on to wear, a completely yellow outfit was pathbreaking fashion for that time. Designers Alden Sheets and Bonnie Dominguez took over as Williams’ outfits got bolder with time. So much so some tournaments directed Puma to get her designs approved beforehand.
Williams is known for her catsuit collection with Nike. However, it was Puma who gave her the first catsuit at the 2002 US Open. It was met with a lot of scrutiny in criticism but Serena carried it off successfully. Eventually, Nike offered her a deal nearly four times of greater value than what Puma was giving her, poaching her away at the end of her initial contract with the latter.
Serena Williams net worth and Nike endorsement deal
Williams changed the way how female tennis players dress and how it is received. Puma set her on this path with an agreement worth $13 million over five years. With some trailblazing outfits, the partnership laid the groundwork on which Nike built an empire. They improved upon what Puma had built, giving Serena, a superstar by then, more freedom to choose and create attires. According to ESPN, Nike reportedly spent $40 million (plus $15 million as incentives and performance bonus) in their first deal with Serena Williams until December 2011.
Holding a degree in fashion design and being a certified nail technician, Serena has many fashion investments. Apart from her personal lines with Nike, she launched her own independent range called S by Serena. She also has launched personal handbag, jewellery, and nail collections. Her multiple successful businesses have boosted her net worth to $300 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, making her one of the richest tennis players of all-time in the world.
