Tennis star Venus Williams' other love is fashion, which she plans to study in the future.
'My favourite designers are Anna Sui and BCBG by Max Azaria,' says Venus, who holds the world record for the fastest serve at an amazing 200km/h. But she is not planning to do any shopping while in Hong Kong as 'I overdid it recently in a shopping spree and am not allowed to buy anything for a long time'.
Venus, just 18 and ranked No 5 in the world, and sister Serena are expected to play Steffi Graf and Anna Kournikova in today's semi-finals in the Super-Power Challenge Cup in Victoria Park. The final is tomorrow.
With a US$12 million (HK$92.8 million) endorsement contract with Reebok, Venus can almost afford to buy anything her heart desires. But her dream of becoming a fashion designer may be closer than people think.
She already designs a line of tennis clothing for Reebok and wears her creations at major Grand Slam tournaments, making the tennis court a catwalk of sorts. Her next line of outfits will be seen at the Australian Open, which starts on January 18.
Venus takes fashion so seriously that she designs each outfit specifically for each match she plays in, saving her favourite for the final.