Serena Williams brushes off 'Photoshop' claims to flash legs in sexy lace outfit as she collects SI award

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Serena Williams is SI's Sportsperson of the Year

Serena Williams looked sexier than ever as she collected her Sportsperson of the Year award from Sports Illustrated on Tuesday evening.
Brushing off the recent controversy surrounding its upcoming issue where she's pictured in a black leotard and high heels lounging on a golden throne, the 34-year-old proudly showcased her legs in a revealing black lace outfit.
She looked a picture of perfection as she smiled for pictures at Pier 60 in New York while surrounded by her family.
Serena added to one of the longest resumes in sports by collecting the award from Sports Illustrated, becoming only the third individual woman to claim the honour since its 1956 inception.
The star won the first three grand slam singles titles of 2015 after taking last year's U.S. Open to hold all four crowns at once for her second career 'Serena Slam'.

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Serena was the centre of attention in this hot look

Sports Illustrated

Some fans questioned whether they had used Photoshop to slim down her legs

Read more: Serena Williams fans gutted over super-slim thighs for Sports Illustrated cover
She logged a 53-3 record, reigned as world number one every week for the second successive year and took her total of grand slams to 21, one less than Steffi Graf for most in the Open Era, at an age when most players have been long retired.
"I've been doing what I do for over 20 years professionally and that's a long time to be playing," Williams told Reuters before Tuesday's awards dinner. "And this is the first time I was ever recognised as Sportsperson of the Year.
"So it really, really meant a lot to me. And being a woman and being only the third to be recognised is pretty awesome."

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Serena Williams: Simply stunning

Serena said that joining gymnast Mary Lou Retton and speed skater Bonnie Blair on the list of women to claim the award motivated her to succeed on court next year and target even more milestones.
"There's numbers," she said at the awards dinner, referencing Graf's 22 slams and the 24 singles titles won by all-time leader Margaret Court of Australia.
"I never looked at numbers until recently. I want to at least try to reach a couple of numbers that I won't mention. Just go one at a time and hopefully will be there one day."

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She said getting the award was "pretty awesome"

She won out over such strong contenders as NBA star Stephen Curry, golfer Jordan Spieth and racehorse American Pharoah, the first to win the U.S. Triple Crown in 37 years, who won the magazine's readers poll for the award.
Sports Illustrated denied photoshopping the cover, saying: "The fact is that we didn't do anything to change the integrity of the photo, change Serena's likeness, or shape her body in any way.
"Every magazine's photos are worked on, but the idea that we made her thighs or any other part of her smaller is silly."