Serena Williams unveils new Barbie and what she loves most about it

Serena Williams dishes about playing Barbies with her daughters and celebrates getting her own doll for International Women’s Day. 

This Barbie is a tennis pro! Serena Williams is officially getting her own Barbie and leading a new line of special dolls from Mattel.

To commemorate International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, the toy giant is releasing the “Barbie Dream Team,” a collection of dolls based on several iconic women from around the world that includes a new doll modeled after Williams.

“It’s very exciting to be a part of the Barbie Dream Team. I play Barbies all the time with my girls, and now we have a new character,” Williams said in a video accompanying the release.

Williams’ doll, which went through multiple iterations she reviewed, is giving corporate baddie dressed in a sleek houndstooth pantsuit and top, with a pearl necklace and long, wavy blonde hair to match her signature color.

“Seeing my Barbie for the first time felt great,” said the 23-time Grand Slam champion. “It’s just so exciting to see her come to life. It just looks fabulous.”

Williams also shared insight into what her Barbie sessions with her daughters—8-year-old Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and 2-year-old Adira River Ohanian—are like.

“I try to spend as much time with her as I can, but as a businesswoman with everything that I do, it’s sometimes hard. So we started doing these telenovelas together, and we have a lot of fun with it,” she explained, adding that she also uses the play sessions to introduce her daughter to music, as their Barbies often break out in song to express their feelings.

“There’s always some drama going on with the Barbies, involving Ken, usually,” Williams joked. “And there’s lots of dances. Like, it’s a whole TV production, and then when the girl gets upset, she always sings a song, and that’s how I get her to know, like, Aretha Franklin songs and Whitney Houston songs and really cool music.”

In addition to Williams, the other women in the Barbie Dream Team include research astronaut Kellie Gerardi (U.S.), race car driver Regina Sirvent Alvarado (Mexico), football player Chloe Kelly (U.K.), climber Zoja Skubis (Poland), cricket player Smriti Mandhana (India), professional surfer Stephanie Gilmore (Australia), and pop artist Helene Fischer (Germany).

“I’m thrilled to be honored alongside this incredible group of female changemakers as part of the Barbie Dream Team,” Williams said in a release. “Just like so many women have empowered me to turn my fear into courage and doubt into confidence, I hope we can do the same by championing girls everywhere to pick up a racquet, become an entrepreneur, or do whatever ignites their passion and brings their dreams to life.”

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To further amplify female changemakers this International Women’s Day, Barbie is also spotlighting partnerships with several female-founded beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands, including FHI Heat, Stoney Clover Lane, GK Elite, Unique Vintage, Besita Boots and Moment. Collaborations include Barbie-inspired boots from Besita Boots, a vintage-style apparel collection with Unique Vintage, professional styling tools from FHI Heat, botanical beverages from Moment, performance apparel from GK Elite and GK Cheer, and a new Barbie-themed accessories collection from Stoney Clover Lane.