All eyes were on tennis superstar Serena Williams as she arrived to the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards (CFDA) at the American Museum of Natural History on Monday in New York City.

As she prepared to accept the Fashion Icon Award, previously bestowed upon Naomi Campbell, Zendaya and Beyonce, during the star-studded ceremony, the retired athlete, 42, stopped to pose for photos on the red carpet in a black sequined gown, designed by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne, with dramatic sleeves and a train.

The mom-of-two, who gave birth to her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August, accessorized her show-stopping dress with jewelry from David Yurman and long golden tresses in a low ponytail.

Prior to the event, the Olympian told CFDA: ‘Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself – fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going.’

Glamarous: All eyes were on tennis superstar Serena Williams as she arrived to the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards (CFDA) at the American Museum of Natural History on Monday in New York City

Stunning: As she prepared to accept the Fashion Icon Award, previously bestowed upon Naomi Campbell, Zendaya and Beyonce, during the star-studded ceremony, the retired athlete, 42, stopped to pose for photos on the red carpet in a black sequined gown, designed by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne, with dramatic sleeves and a train

‘My dream of owning my own brand, S by Serena, has become a reality and throughout my career I have been blessed to collaborate with the most established designers and the most exciting up-and-coming creatives,’ Williams continued. ‘I have had so much fun learning my style and allowing it to change as my life has evolved, but I’ve always held one thing true – fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race, or income.’

Williams said she felt ‘incredibly honored to be receiving the prestigious Fashion Icon Award from the CFDA.’

CFDA Chairman Thom Browne credited the Michigan native for ‘bringing fashion to another world’ through her tennis career as well as ‘always staying true to herself, both on and off the court.’

Browne also described Williams as a ‘true fashion icon’ and ‘one of the most inspiring people in the world.’

In December, she took to Twitter to admit that retired life isn’t easy for her.

She explained it is challenging to have free time because she has spent her whole life preparing for the next tournament or game in constant competition.

Serena welcomed Olympia in September 2017, whom she shares with her husband and Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian. The couple tied the knot two months after their daughter was born.

When talking to E! News earlier this month, the sports star commented on her daughter saying, ‘I hope she realizes that I was pretty good at my job and the hard work that it takes to be good at it.’

‘Just taking away the hard work and the excellence that you have to put your body through and the discipline that you also have to put your body through,’ she continued.

Rare night away from the family: The mom-of-two, who gave birth to her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August, accessorized her show-stopping dress with jewelry from David Yurman and long golden tresses in a low ponytail

Prior to the event, the Olympian told CFDA: ‘Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself – fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going.’

‘My dream of owning my own brand, S by Serena, has become a reality and throughout my career I have been blessed to collaborate with the most established designers and the most exciting up-and-coming creatives,’ Williams continued. ‘I have had so much fun learning my style and allowing it to change as my life has evolved, but I’ve always held one thing true – fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race, or income’

CFDA Fashion Awards 2023 WINNERS

Wow factor: Serena Williams led the big winners at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City as she took home Fashion Icon

American Menswear Designer of the Year: Willy Chavarria

American Accessory Designer of the Year: Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row

American Emerging Designer of the Year: Rachel Scott for Diotima

American Womenswear Designer of the Year: Catherine Holstein for Khaite

Fashion Icon: Serena Williams

Innovation Award presented by Amazon Fashion: Goop

Board of Director’s Tribute: Vera Wang

Founder’s Award: Domenico De Sole, in honor of Eleanor Lambert

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Maria Cornejo

Media Award: Alina Cho, in honor of Eugenia Sheppard

Environmental Sustainability Award: Mara Hoffman

International Designer of the Year: Jonathan Anderson for J.W. Anderson and Loewe

She also opened up about retirement in a Vogue essay published in August.

‘I for sure feel more at peace now,’ Serena admitted. ‘It’s interesting. I think I feel torn because I’m still able to play at a very, very, very high level. With that being said, I always wanted to leave the game playing at a very high level.’

The star added, ‘But it’s hard because it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I could still play, and I could still do all that stuff.’….But I’m inch by inch leaning away, inch by inch embracing it.’

‘I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next,’ Serena had written in August, gushing that tennis, ‘has given me so much. I love to win. I love the battle. I love to entertain.’

‘My whole life, up to now, has been tennis. My dad says I first picked up a racket when I was three, but I think it was even earlier,’ she had reminisced.

Honree: Williams said she felt ‘incredibly honored to be receiving the prestigious Fashion Icon Award from the CFDA’

Singing her praises: CFDA Chairman Thom Browne credited the Michigan native for ‘bringing fashion to another world’ through her tennis career as well as ‘always staying true to herself, both on and off the court’

Pals: Williams pictured with supermodel Karlie Kloss at the event

At the time of her retirement news, Serena revealed during an interview with Time that her daughter was actually quite excited over the announcement.

‘Olympia doesn’t like when I play tennis,’ the star stated, whose older sister, Venus Williams, is also professionally plays the sport.

She added that at the time, the reaction, ‘kind of makes me sad, and brings anxiety to my heart. It’s hard to completely commit when your flesh and blood is saying, Aw.’

Although Serena had expressed to Vogue that she had planned to evolve away from tennis, she stated at the TechCrunch Disrupt panel in San Francisco in October that, ‘I’m not retired.’

Greatest tennis players of all time: In December, she took to Twitter to admit that retired life isn’t easy for her

‘The chances of me returning are very high,’ the athlete informed the audience, according to The San Francisco Standard.

Serena had competed earlier in September during the 2022 U.S. Open, where she had lost to Ajla Tomljanovic.

‘I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me,’ the hard-working mother explained to Vogue, stating she was looking at the changes in her life as a ‘transition.’

While no longer professionally competing, the talented star has been focusing on possibly adding another addition to her family, while also putting attention on her own clothing line, S By Serena.