Serena Williams, who won six singles championships at the U.S. Open — tied with Chris Evert for the most — during her decades of dominance with a racket in her hands, returned to the tournament on Saturday. This time, however, she was in the stands as a spectator. Williams was attending her first U.S. Open since retiring from professional tennis in 2022. As she watched from Arthur Ashe Stadium, Jannik Sinner, the world’s top-ranked player, secured a victory in the third round against Chris O’Connell. But what overshadowed the victory was Serena’s look!

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself,” Serena Williams once said. For the tennis legend, tennis and fashion go hand-in-hand. And it is clear to fans where she draws her fashion inspiration from—her mother, Oracene Price!

Who can forget Oracene’s iconic glasses and unbothered expressions, even in the most intense matches? It’s no wonder Serena Williams has inherited the same genes. While Sinner was busy fighting off O’Connell, Williams, with her blonde curly hairstyle and golden framed shades, was spotted relaxing in the stands and humming on her own.  

Williams’ denim skirt reminiscent of her 2004 appearance and white shirt outfit evoked memories of her mother’s similar style, complete with short blonde curly hair and black-framed glasses. The only difference is that Oracene was perhaps more keen on sleeping than watching the match!

Digging up an old video of Oracene’s same look as Williams’ fans took to their X to share their hilarious reactions.

Fans react to Serena Williams’ lookalike—her mother!

Serena Williams was a kid when her mother used special Vogue patterns to stitch outfits for her and her sister Venus and therefore planted the seed of a bold sense of fashion in them. Serena carried that onto the US Open courts at 17 years of age and wore a stunning yellow Puma dress while playing. So when a fan points out, “She get it from her mama,” we know where they are coming from!

However, referring to her lively spirit as compared to her mother’s sleeping scene in the stands (years ago), one fan wrote, “Serena looks like Oracene but actually awake in the stands.” A humorous moment during Serena Williams’ farewell at the US Open involved her mother, Oracene Price, who appeared to doze off during the match. Cameras caught Price’s head tilted and her eyes closed for over 5 seconds.

One fan, awestruck at the scene, wrote, “She absolutely looks like Oracene here.” Williams, the owner of WYN Beauty, once recalled how her mother inspired her to take an interest in beauty products, stating, “My earliest beauty memory has to do with my mom. She wore red lipstick back then and still does now,” and concluded by adding how she loved to play in her makeup as a kid! Therefore, Williams, who launched her own clothing brand, ‘Serena’ in 2018, might also be happy to notice the uncanny similarity!

“Doesn’t she?!? I’d sent this to my family with “Oracene Jr”,” wrote another fan. Inspired by her mother as a kid, Serena Williams further honed her skills by studying fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale from 2000 to 2003. A believer in “fashion is for everyone..,” Williams appeared in the Met Gala event, wearing a golden gown earlier this year, and is certainly creating history with her remarkable fashion statements!

One fan, adding a touch of humor, commented, “Oracene, but likes tennis,” on the post. Oracene might not have expressed her usual enthusiasm while watching the tennis match, but as per Serena Williams, “She does so many things and she has more energy than anyone I know, but she deals with so much on a health thing that it’s so inspiring.” Moreover, time and again, Williams has come forward to share how Oracene’s advice to stay focused “for every point,” in a game and motivating her to perform well has helped her to show her greatness on-court.

While Serena Williams continues to slay the court and the fashion game, we can’t help but appreciate the woman who started it all—Oracene Price!