CALIFORNIA: Tennis legend Serena Williams has signed a multi-year deal with premier trading card and collectibles firm, Upper Deck.
Through it, Williams joined the likes of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Wayne Gretzky as a spokesperson and exclusive autograph signer for the firm. While the deal allows Upper Deck to produce authenticated memorabilia and limited-edition prints featuring Williams’ autograph and image.
During a recent signing with Upper Deck, Williams said, “I love my fans. They support me through everything, and I want them to know how much I appreciate them. I want to show them that appreciation by giving something unique, and I feel like the least I can do is sign something that will bring them joy. Working with Upper Deck allows me to achieve that on a grand scale.”
The new Serena Williams collection of Upper Deck Authenticated signed memorabilia boasts exclusive limited-edition images, jumbo tennis balls and Nike tennis shoes (including NikeCourt Flare tennis sneakers inspired by the Air Jordan 1), as well as extremely limited editions of Nike tennis dresses and Wilson rackets. A few of the more unique pieces include ‘The Show,’ an 18″ x 36″ image that features the largest Williams signature ever produced; and, coming soon, a 4-foot wide ‘Legends of Sports’ showpiece co-signed by Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Also coming soon is a large framed “Tegata” featuring Williams’ actual handprint surrounded by a collage of images from her illustrious career.
“Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all time, and we couldn’t be more honored to embark on this journey with her as she steps back onto the court,” said Jason Masherah, president of Upper Deck. “She is exactly the kind of athlete and role model that we have continually strived to align ourselves with throughout our 30-year history.”
Earlier this month, the 23-time Grand Slam winner gave fans a first-hand glimpse into her personal life in the highly anticipated HBO documentary series “Being Serena.”
“It’s important to me to be a role model for young women. I want them to continue having that really positive image of someone they can look up to and emulate,” said Serena Williams in a recent interview.
