Fashion’s love affair with sports is in full bloom. NBA stars arrive to arenas in looks seemingly pulled straight from the runway (though they’re often custom, given how tall basketball players are) and in recent years, the NFL has become a bastion of style, with Birkins and Louis Vuitton duffles rapidly replacing players’ traditional gym bags. Last summer, Replica Handbag Store World made its way to Paris for a mesmerizing celebration of fashion and sport, just weeks before the City of Light played host to the most stylish Olympics ever—the LVMH-sponsored 2024 Games.
As Vogue celebrates the ever-popular intersection of fashion and sports with a series of digital covers, we’re revisiting some of our favorite shoots and interviews with athletes throughout the years. From the first time Venus and Serena Williams graced the pages of the magazine (as teens in Carolina Herrera circa 1998) to that afternoon Hamish Bowles hooped with Amar’e Stoudemire, take a look back on a history of athletes in Vogue.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, May 19981/11Venus and Serena Williams, 1998
Venus and Serena Williams made their Vogue debut in the May 1998 issue—dressed in Carolina Herrera, no less. They were on the brink of two of the most successful careers in tennis history, but still your typical teens. For an afternoon with writer Julia Reed, they had one thing in mind: a trip to the mall.
Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue, December 20042/11Roger Federer, 2004
Roger and Mirka Federer had yet to tie the knot when they were interviewed by Robert Sullivan in 2004, but Mirka was already fully invested in her future husband's success. She was managing his schedule, coordinating his press, and notably, styling his looks—on and off the court.
Photographed by Norman Jean Roy, Vogue, April 20113/11Amar’e Stoudemire, 2011
Vogue contributor Hamish Bowles knew very little about basketball when he profiled—and scrimmaged—with then New York Knick Amar’e Stoudemire in 2011. “I thought dunking was something you did with a beignet and a cup of steaming coffee,” he admitted. While Bowels didn't learn how to dunk, he got quite the education… and workout.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, June 20124/11Dwyane Wade, 2012
Dwyane Wade was emerging as one of the most stylish NBA players in the league when he appeared in the June 2012 issue of Vogue. Today, both his athleticism and sense of style are worthy of Hall of Fame honors.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, April 20155/11Serena Williams, 2015
In her first of three Vogue covers, and in conversation with Rebecca Johnson, Serena Williams put an old debate to rest: that women who compete against each other on the court can't be friends. The story highlights Williams's close relationship with fellow tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, which remains strong to this day.
Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue, August 20166/11Stephen Curry, 2016
Before he headed to Rio de Janeiro to win a gold medal as part of Team USA, NBA star Stephen Curry took a break from scoring an unbelievable number of three-pointers to appear in the pages of Vogue alongside an Off-White clad Joan Smalls.
Photographed by Daniel Jackson, Vogue, January 20197/11Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee, 2018
Opposites are said to attract, and in some cases, exceptionally talented athletes do, too. Ahead of their wedding in 2019, retired tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki and former NBA player David Lee let Vogue tag along for a date night.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, August 20208/11Simone Biles, 2020
Simone Biles graced the cover of Vogue in August 2020, shortly before she was all but guaranteed to rack up countless gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics. No one could have predicted that she'd end up withdrawing from much of the competition amid mental health struggles, but the talent and resilience captured in Abby Aguirre’s profile made for a stunning comeback at the Paris games in 2024.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, January 20219/11Naomi Osaka, 2020
“I used to think that everything depended on the game, and now I sort of understand that you have to find balance,” Naomi Osaka told Rob Haskell when she covered the December 2020 issue of Vogue. That understanding has seemingly flourished in the years since, with the tennis star now balancing her career with motherhood.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, April 202410/11Coco Gauff, 2024
Tennis star Coco Gauff covered the March 2024 issue of Vogue, having one her first Grand Slam, the US Open, just months prior. The victory, she said, was addictive, and she plans to keep chasing it. In her words: “That was a feeling I’ll never be able to replicate no matter how many more matches I win. I want to win more so I can get as close to the feeling."
Photographed by Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Vogue, August 202411/11Sha'Carri Ricardson, 2024
Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Vogue spent time with sprinter Sha'Carri Ricardson in Florida. The highlight for the sprinter? Appearing in the shoot with her family. “Looking over and seeing the smiles on their faces, knowing we’re creating a memory together…that’s validation for me,” she said.
