'I'm not a size two but I'm strong!': Serena Williams strips off her tennis skirt to look sensational in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Serena Williams has always looked great on a tennis court as she has picked up trophy after trophy.

Now the 35-year-old star is looking sensational in the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The Florida resident looked smoking hot in bikinis as she posed on a tropical beach.

In her video interview the beauty said, 'I want people to come away with the fact that it’s okay to be comfortable in your body. I’m not a size two. It’s okay to look good and feel good and I’m strong. It’s okay to look strong and to be sexy and to be a woman and to be unbreakable — all those things.'

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She then added: 'I really want to have that influence for people out there that have my body type. I want them to be like, "I look good too." That’s what I hope for.'

As for getting comfortable with posting in a swimsuit, Williams said it took some getting used to.

'I’ve never worn a thong bikini, so for that to be my first shot was like a shot of espresso for me because I had to wake up immediately,' she said.

'The thong is perfect, it really made me feel comfortable. I’m officially a thong girl now!'

And she took to the standard girl-on-the-beach pose. 'The lying-down [photos in that suit] came out really well because they almost stretched my body out and made it go with the beautiful background.'   

The athlete showed off her muscular body in a variety of suits, and at one point went topless. She wore her hair down and had her supermodel poses going strong. And the siren also wore belly jewelry.

This appearance comes after Williams shared that her techie fiance Alexis Ohanian bought her a NES Classic mini for Valentine's Day. He spent $60.

'When you date a "techie" you get these gifts,' Serena captioned her snaps 

Williams won her record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne in January - breaking the tie she held with Steffi Graf for most number of Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era. 

The cover girl was announced on Tuesday evening on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The honor went to Sports Illustrated favourite Kate Upton, 24. Also in the issue is Hannah Jeter, 26, who just announced her pregnancy this month.

And Christie Brinkley, 63, has posed with her daughters Sailor and Alexa. Chrissy Teigen, 31, also makes a return just months after welcoming daughter Luna with her singer husband John Legend. 

The new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is out now.