Venus Williams Designs Limited Edition US Open ‘Green’ Tee
August 28, 2009
FLUSHING, N.Y. – – The USTA announced today that two-time US Open Champion Venus Williams has designed an official US Open t-shirt to be sold at the 2009 US Open. The limited edition Venus Williams t-shirt is part of the USTA’s wide-ranging green initiatives at the 2009 US Open and will be sold at the Octagon, the US Open Collection stores located in Louis Armstrong Stadium and the South Plaza and on USOpen.org.
The design will be printed on a 100% organic cotton t-shirt. Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment.
Williams, who won the US Open in 2000 and 2001, is designing the shirt as part of her EleVen clothing line, which was launched in 2007.
“I am really excited about this project because it combines three of my interests – tennis, fashion and the environment,” said Williams, who enters this year’s US Open seeded No. 3. “I hope that my passion will be conveyed through this design and will inspire others to do their part to help preserve the environment.”
A portion of the profits from the Venus Williams t-shirt will benefit Unisphere, Inc., the non-profit organization that maintains and preserves Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“We are thrilled that someone of Venus Williams’ stature, a two-time US Open Champion, signed on to design this shirt,” said Lucy Garvin, President and Chairman of the Board, USTA. “The organic t-shirt is truly an innovative way to spread the message about our green initiatives.”
The 2009 US Open, the world’s highest attended annual sporting event, is expected to attract over 700,000 fans with more than 250 of the world’s top tennis players from over 60 countries competing in the two-week event. The tournament will be held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., August 31 – September 13.
For more information on the Venus Williams “green” tee, go to USOpen.org.