WATCHES |^ STYLE
How does it feel to be the best at what
you do?
I’ve always wanted to be an athlete. What drives me
daily is my love for what I do. I wake up and I want to
be the greatest player. Awards do mean a lot as it is
nice to be recognised for the work you’ve done, for
everything you’ve achieved, but I don’t like to just look
back at victories. My objective is to keep winning. I
need to focus on that instead of looking at what I have
accomplished so far.What character traits are most important to you?
Mental strength and determination. Whether you’re on
or off the court, you have to feed both, work on them
constantly. At the end of the day, it’s what’s going to
make the difference between athletes.Do you have a number of Grand Slam
you want to reach before you retire?
Having won different titles, there is less
pressure to achieve anything specifi c at
the moment. I’ve won every Grand Slam
the Olympics. I can play for fun now.You’re expecting your fi rst child.
What’s a lesson you’d like to teach
him or her?
That you can do anything if you
believe in it.Is tennis going to take a back seat
once you become a parent?
No, I’m looking forward to becoming a
mum while remaining a performing athle
I’m defi nitely thinking of coming back to h
courts already.What would you like to focus on in lif
after tennis?
I have asked myself that question, but I don’t
envisage stopping for now. There are quite a few
things for me to do still and I’m defi nitely not done with
the tennis world, although if you ask me exactly how I
picture the next 10 years, I’m not entirely sure yet. I’ve
spent most of my life in the sport, so I probably won’t
keep doing it for another 20 years. Let’s just say I’m
not putting a cap on it.What about living with Venus now is different
from when you were girls?
We have both evolved. One of the latest memories
I have with Venus is at the last Australian Open.
Playing against my sister, breaking the record againsther and have her do so well as well, it was just like
old times. We were reminiscing, and it was really
amazing in that sense.How would you describe your style?
Fun! That’s why I enjoyed doing the Diamond Outrage
shoot. I hadn’t really done anything like that before.
The watch is super contemporary, and I feel [fashion
photographer] Tom Munro was able to capture my fun
side—the real me. When I’m on the court, people only
see my serious persona, so it was great to be able
to showcase my normal off-the-court self [with this
campaign].What do you look for in a watch?
I like pieces that are strong and have character.
S ople have asked me if I consider my
h s lucky charms when I play. I have
many times with a watch on my wrist,
yes, I guess they have become some
of a lucky charm.What do you like the most about
the Diamond Outrage?
So many things. It’s beautiful.
Powerful. Strong. Different. Unique.
It has many facets, including
mystery, as the actual watch is
hidden on the inside. Audemars
Pi et was able to reach a new level
i h this piece, and that really spoke to
I actually want to congratulate the
hmakers and jewellers who made
h watch. They should be proud. The
lt is beyond anything I’ve ever seen
d I feel like the luckiest girl in the world
time I wear it.Wh did you decide to work with
Audemars Piguet?
I am inspired by people who take pride in their work
and Audemars Piguet’s watchmakers certainly do.
We fi rst met at Art Basel in Miami Beach a couple of
years ago. I already knew the brand and it was great
to be able to discover more of it at the fair, meeting
the watchmakers and understanding where they come
from, the brand values, and the hard work they put into
creating their pieces. From then on it was just a natural
conversation with the team, especially with Francois-
Henry [Bennahmias], who’s the CEO and a former
athlete. We defi nitely have some common ground as
we are both sportspeople and business people at the
PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM MUNRO; STYLING: KESHA MCLEOD & ALEX MANIGAT @ KMCMEsame time.hong kong tatler. september 2017 145