Serena Williams first appeared on the set of an SI swimsuit shoot in 2003, just eight years into her long professional tennis career. She returned to the court the following year, and again in 2017 – her journey as an athlete has passed many more years and won more titles – with tennis pros Caroline Wozniacki and Together they traveled to the beaches of the Turks and Caicos Islands to film the feature film Bouchard.
“I’m really excited to be back filming the swimsuit issue,” she said on the tropical set. “It’s always a lot of fun and it always feels really good.”
As excited as she is to be back, Williams is equally hoping to pose for a series of photos that will inspire others to appreciate their physiques. Williams hopes those who see the final photos “will realize that it’s OK to be comfortable in your body,” she said. “I’m not a size two – but it’s okay to look good and feel good.”
The 42-year-old has always been a powerhouse in tennis and a representative of strong female athletes around the world. She said she wants others to know they can be “strong, sexy, a woman and indestructible” all at the same time. “I really want to make an impact on people who have the same body type as me.”
Here are six of our favorite photos of this powerful mother of two in Turks and Caicos.
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Emmanuel Hauge/Sports Illustrated
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Emmanuel Hauge/Sports Illustrated
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Emmanuel Hauge/Sports Illustrated
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Emmanuel Hauge/Sports Illustrated
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Emmanuel Hauge/Sports Illustrated
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Emmanuel Hauge/Sports Illustrated
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