After her unforgettable final tennis match earlier this year at the U.S. Open, it was clear that legendary athlete Serena Williams is ready to pursue new challenges. “All I have done is work for literally my whole life, and I just started exploring this freedom. When people retire from tennis, everyone always says they’re free. So I guess I’m free now,” Williams tells BAZAAR.com. In an expression of that creative freedom, the athlete has already created a number of companies, including her fashion brand S by Serena, fine jewelry line Serena Williams Jewelry, and capitalist firm Serena Ventures.
In the next phase of her career journey, Williams is now dipping her toe into beauty and wellness with the launch of Will Perform, a new lifestyle collection that aims to revolutionize what it means to recover after a tough workout. The brand targets the specific training needs of athletes, as well as fitness lovers who lead active lifestyles. Williams partnered with CPG executive Hank Mercier and entrepreneur Eric Ryan (the creator behind Method cleaning products, nutritional brand Olly, and First Aid brand Welly) to co-found and concept the idea.
“Recovery has played an integral role in my performance and professional success," she says in a brand statement. "It’s a practice that can benefit anyone with an active lifestyle. That belief is what inspired us to develop a line of products that targets your muscles and can be incorporated into your daily self-care routine.”
The quick-drying line is powered by ingredients like menthol, camphor, lidocaine, lavender, geranium, and more to deeply soothe body soreness. Its initial offerings are for both daily and nightly use, and consist of five staples spanning four categories: Relieve, Cool, Soothe, and Rest. Featuring the Will Relieve Pain Relief Roll-On and Spray, Will Cool Cooling Pain Relief Roll-On, Will Soothe Daily Muscle Soothing Lotion, and Will Rest Nightly Muscle Recovery Lotion, each item in the range is priced at under $20.
"I'm super excited to be launching Will," Williams says in an Instagram post. "As you know, recovery is such an important part of sport, and really, the main part...Being a top athlete, you have to recover the best in order to be the best. So, I'm really excited about this recovery collection that I curated. It's been in the works for a really, really, really long time because I wanted to make sure it was perfect. If you know anything about me, I love being perfect. Sorry, that's just a fault of mine."
Will Perform's line of pre- and post-recovery offerings makes professional-level workout essentials even more accessible to everyday athletes, and underlines the brand's greater mission to bridge the gap between performance and self-care.
Will Perform is available to shop now at willperform.com, with select retailers to follow.
Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
