A New Racket Serena Williams proves she's also No. 1 in a two-piece

She acts. She designs clothes. She tries and tries and tries to
teach herself new languages. And oh, yeah, she has been known to
pick up a tennis racket and beat the stuffing out of every player
on the WTA Tour. Now Serena Williams can add "swimsuit model" to
her dossier. When it was suggested that she appear in this issue,
the decision was a no-brainer for swimsuit editor Diane Smith.
Serena is, after all, the most-recognized female athlete on the
planet, and, as demonstrated when she wore that memorable "cat
suit" at the U.S. Open, her physical bona fides are
unimpeachable. So at 6 a.m., as full of bounce as a new can of
tennis balls, she met Walter Iooss Jr. in the lobby of Miami's
Nash Hotel, then spent the day posing in a studio and on a beach.
"It was clear she wasn't going to look like the typical swimsuit
model," says Iooss. "But what she has is active beauty, a
combination of femininity and athleticism."

MAKEUP: JESUS ABREU FOR ARTISTSBYTIMOTHYPRIANO.COM

HAIR: LINDA MAYHAND PARRISH FOR

VERNON MARTIN SALONS, WASHINGTON, D.C.

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALTER IOOSS JR. SWIMSUIT BY ONDADEMAR ($105)

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALTER IOOSS JR. SWIMSUIT BY ANNE KLEIN ($90) SHIRT BY B WITH G ($115)

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALTER IOOSS JR. SWIMSUIT BY KEIKO ($238)

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALTER IOOSS JR. SWIMSUIT BY OMO NORMA KAMALI ($325)