Venus Williams, playing Wimbledon this week, returns to fashion [Updated]

With Grand Slam tennis season underway and Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open coming up, this summer was the perfect time for sports style icon Venus Williams to relaunch her clothing brand. 

I talked to Williams recently about her new "tennis lifestyle" line called EleVen, which she is producing with an L.A.-based manufacturer.

Fashion, like tennis, is her "heart and sweat and pride and joy," said Williams, who sketches her own designs. She's particularly excited about the dress she's created to wear at the Olympics, which is inspired by her favorite superhero.

Right now she's preoccupied with tennis and set to play Wimbledon, which starts Monday. But she's up against some tough odds, battling an autoimmune disease and coming into the tournament unseeded for the first time since her debut at the All England club in 1997. [Updated 10:54 a.m. June 25 to correct the name of the All England club.]

To read more of my story about Williams, click here.

-- Booth Moore

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Photo of Venus Williams in a dress from her line EleVen. Credit: EleVen by Venus Williams.