• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 27, 2024

Serena Williams always commands the crowds at the U.S. Open. But things look a little different this year: The retired GOAT is using the event to introduce a new collection of lip liners and glosses from Wyn Beauty.

Williams first launched the brand in April with just 10 products. She tells Glossy, the beauty industry publication, that she and Ulta will invite influencers to a box the two companies are sponsoring to build brand awareness. The activation celebrates the 25^th anniversary of Williams’ 1999 first-ever Grand Slam title win.

Williams, no stranger to entrepreneurial ventures, debuted the brand with a commitment to clean, high-performing ingredients. The products use deeper skin tones as a starting point, and they include 36 shades to make sure people can find a match for all skin colors.

Products are packaged in a vivid tennis-ball green the company calls “Wyn Chartreuse” and says it reflects Williams’ “energy and determination.”

Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022, launched the direct-to-consumer brand with an agreement to sell products through Ulta.com and in 685 of Ulta’s brick-and-mortar stores. She supported the spring launch with an in-person appearance at an Ulta in Palm Beach, Florida, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to products that hold up, even during the busiest days.

While she is often described as one of the planet’s most competitive people, her launch announcement insists that this is not true regarding skincare. "Beauty is a field where everyone wins," says Williams in the release. "You set and define your own personal goals and standards. Wyn isn't about being the best, but your best."

Maybe so, but Williams, who also has a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins, many endorsement deals and her own venture capital fund, faces plenty of beauty competition from tennis players eager to build diverse beauty brands.

Sloane Stephens, knocked out in the first round this year, launched Doc & Glo, a body care line that includes Game-Changing Deodorant and 24/7 Hustle Deodorizing Body Mist last week. Those products will sell on a D2C site, Amazon and the Free People Movement website.

Coco Gauff, currently dazzling spectators with her on-court appearances at the tournament, was named the face of Carol’s Daughter, the multicultural beauty brand, earlier this year. (She already dazzled fans with a strawberry-themed manicure heading into Wimbledon.)

And Naomi Osaka, whose return to the U.S. Open has been widely anticipated, is no style slouch either. Osaka wore a bold Nike-created tennis outfit with a petticoat and, in a statement, described her look as “magical girl.”  She, too, has a skincare line: She launched Kinlò several years ago, focusing on sun protection for people with melanated skin.

La Roche Posay, owned by L’Oréal, is the tournament’s official sunscreen partner.