“Whether on or off the court, I love to wear jewelry that empowers and makes me feel confident,” Serena Williams said in an interview with PEOPLE back in 2021. Serena’s love for jewelry actually prompted her to launch her own jewelry line, Serena Williams Jewelry, on August 24, 2021. Her goal as a jewelry designer is to create pieces that “radiate self-love and strength” and “inspire and empower” the people who wear them. According to the 23-time GS winner, jewelry is something that makes an outfit “complete,” and it was quite evident during her red-carpet appearance at the TIME 100 Gala, where she stole the spotlight with her ever-sparkling diamond jewelry. However, after the gala, Serena wasn’t too happy. Why though?
In a star-studded event at the Lincoln Center in NYC, featuring multiple celebrities including Scarlett Johansson and Demi Moore, Serena Williams was dressed to the nines . She donned a stunning, eye-catching black bodycon dress, which was designed by the renowned fashion designer Stella McCartney. But her Audemars Piguet watch and a glittering De Beers diamond jewelry were the real showstopper!
But after the show, when it was time to wrap up and put off those elegant possessions, Williams looked a bit sad. “The glamor comes off…don’t take that. Can I have this?” she wrote in her IG stories.
As her diamond necklace was taken away, Serena jokingly added, “No! Ohh..you gonna take that too? What a shame!” In another story, she shared a meme from the IG page Quacklives that highlighted her post-event tiredness:. Captioning the meme, she wrote, “Me recovering from a social event that I only went to for one hour.“
Serena Williams Leaving Time 100 Gala in NYC#SerenaWilliams #TIME100 #entertainment #afrazexplores pic.twitter.com/70hvH5AknT
— Afraz Explores (@AfrazExplores) April 25, 2025
Serena’s love for jewelry makes us wonder about her favorite jewelry. What’s the most favorite piece in her collection? She revealed it in that same interview with PEOPLE, saying that it’s very hard to choose her favorites because the entire collection is close to her heart. “I love that the collection is a reminder to be beautiful and be who you are; there are designs that celebrate motherhood and include hearts, stackable pieces, and the modern take on classic tennis bracelets and necklaces,” she said.
Does this love for jewelry run in her family, too? Responding to that, Serena added, “I think so, my sisters and I always used to share our jewelry. Growing up, I liked to dress up, and I think that really helped me learn how to express myself through clothes. Today I use fashion and jewelry to express how I am are feeling that day and have fun while doing it.”
But what did Serena Williams say when she was introduced as an honoree at the TIME 100 Gala?
Serena Williams highlights the importance of “changing the conversation” about what women can achieve in the sporting world
TIME 100 Pioneers: Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier introduced Serena Williams on the stage at the TIME 100 gala. Making a glamorous presence on the stage, Serena began, “For most of my life, I’ve been a part of a world that didn’t always expect much from women … especially not from a Black girl from Compton with big dreams and an even bigger serve. But if there’s one thing my parents taught me, it’s that the rules weren’t built for us—so sometimes, you have to create your own.“
Contnuing further, she revealed how her career goals evolved over time, “When I was a little girl, I dreamed about winning Grand Slams. But as I grew older, I realized my dreams were, well, bigger than that. I started dreaming about changing the conversation. About making people see women’s sports and women’s athletes completely differently. And it was about proving that passion, power, and emotion [weren’t] weaknesses, but our greatest strengths,” Serena added.
This was the third time Serena found a place in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Heaping praise on her for the honor, Olympic track champion, Allyson Felix wrote, “Whether it’s through her venture-capital fund that invests in companies founded by women and people of color, or joining the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, a WNBA expansion team, or dancing during halftime at the Super Bowl, she continues to show that we, as athletes, are so far from one-dimensional.”
Even tennis star, Coco Gauff, shared a few words about her idol, saying, “[M]ost influential people of all time, I mean, that’s an incredible accomplishment that she definitely deserves. She probably influenced millions, and I’m one of them. Not only in tennis but worldwide, just to be strong women and especially women of color.“
The German tennis legend, Boris Becker, also joined multiple other notable figures to shower his admiration and respect for this “Trailblazer.” Even Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, dropped a heartfelt message on her incredible feat! What are your thoughts on Serena being included in the list of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People?
The post “What a Shame”- Glam Retreat Hits Hard as Serena Williams Recovers From Her One-Hour TIME 100 Gala appeared first on EssentiallySports.