Tennis star and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has created almost as much of a stir with her fashion sense as with her athletic ability. She will be participating in the Polo Ralph Lauren Legends Clinic launching at 2 p.m. Thursday. At this interactive, virtual tennis clinic, Ms. Williams will be demonstrating techniques and answering questions. It will be streamed live online at www.RalphLauren.com. The company is celebrating its sixth year as the official apparel sponsor of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, whose qualifying tournament starts today, with regular rounds starting Monday. Ms. Williams will be wearing a limited-edition tennis dress her company, Eleven, designed in partnership with Ralph Lauren, as seen below.

When did your interest in fashion start?

Wow, that started back when I was a little kid. I used to try to sew clothes for my Barbie [doll], dresses. They didn't come out the way I wanted, but ... [laughing] the interest was there.

So your interest in fashion came before tennis?

Yes, it did. Well, I think I was playing at the time as a young kid in training. I think I've been training my whole life [laughing]. So they went hand in hand.

Tell me about your collaboration with Ralph Lauren.

It is the most iconic brand in fashion in America. What they've done in tennis and getting involved with the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, makes us working together great. You know you go to school for fashion and you study fashion history and you see Ralph Lauren and you don't imagine that you'll collaborate with them. For me it's really kind of a dream come true.

Did you have a lot of input when it came to Eleven designing the tennis dress with Polo Ralph Lauren?

Yes, absolutely. We worked together with their lead designer, who is an amazing woman and has led their collections for so long. Of course, Eleven has its own look, and Ralph Lauren has its own look, too, so it was about doing something fun that kind of has the spirit of both. I think it really came out nice.

What convinced you to do the Legends Clinic?

It's a great way to reach fans who you normally wouldn't see -- people who love tennis and actually want to learn a little more about it. It's a fun and new format. It's exciting for me to do something like this that's different.

Do you think the clinic will make a difference as far as getting people interested in the game or helping their game?

You know, I really do. It's so new it is hard to say what [impact] it will have because I've never done it before. But I'm excited about it. And I think it could if they use it in the right way.

Where is tennis fashion heading?

I think there are some people who are going to stay where they are and keep doing wonderful classic things like Ralph Lauren, and then there are companies that are a little more cutting edge. There's room for everything, and I guess we see tennis becoming stronger especially as we get more fans by doing things like the virtual clinic.

The USTA says that tennis is the fastest growing major sport in the United States.

Of course, I'm biased, but that's awesome!

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