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Venus Williams’ New Barbie Honors Icon’s Fight for Equal Pay

The new doll dons an all-white ensemble paying tribute to Williams’ 2007 Wimbledon win against Marion Bartoli.

By Precious Fondren
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Venus Williams is now a Barbie girl in Barbie world. 

The tennis icon is just days away from her new Barbie doll going on sale, and in a new interview with USA Today, she opened up about why she wanted the doll to wear a specific outfit from her past.

"Wimbledon 2007 was a huge moment in my career — not just because I won, but because of what was happening off the court," Williams told the publication. 

Her new doll dons a an all-white ensemble paying tribute to her 2007 Wimbledon win against Marion Bartoli. The “off the court” happenings Venus is referring to is the fact that the women's and men's singles champions earned equal prize money at Wimbledon for the first time that year. 

“Championing for equal prize money wasn’t just about me, it was about pushing for change for all women in sports,” she said. “To see that moment honored with a Barbie doll is incredibly special. I hope it inspires young girls to speak up, believe in themselves, and know they have the power to change the game too.”

The new doll is part of a series of dolls Mattel is making part of their Inspiring Women Series.

@usatoday Exclusive: Tennis legend @venuswilliams is getting her own #Barbie ♬ sonido original - USA TODAY

A spokesperson for Mattel said Venus had a lot of say in what her doll would wear. Barbie Venus sports all the same accessories real-life Williams wore in the match, including a green necklace, dangly earrings, a visor, and a pair of Reeboks. 

"I’ve always loved being creative, even as a kid, I used to sew clothes for my dolls,” Williams said. “Seeing (my) finished doll was so surreal — it made me realize this doll represents something much bigger. It’s about inspiring young girls they can dream big and break barriers too.”

In 2006 Venus wrote an op-ed for The Times about women not receiving the same amount of prize money as men in certain tournaments. Wimbledon and the French Open changed that, beginning the year she won.

"My advice to any woman, not just advocating for equal pay but also advocating for themselves, is this: always bet on yourself and keep pushing, no matter how tough it gets," Williams said. “There’s so much power in believing in yourself. When you use your voice, you create space for others to speak up too and that can create real change.”

@gueoliveira0.fan.0181 1395 The new Venus Williams Barbie doll #wta #tennisdress #legend #venuswilliams #barbie ♬ original sound - gueoliveira0.fan.0181

Other legends in the Inspiring Women Series include Kristi Yamaguchi, Madam C.J. Walker, and Maya Angelou.