Source: Tim Clayton – Corbis / Getty
Serena Williams turned heads when she appeared at the 2018 French Open in a form-fitting catsuit that served a function beyond its daring look. Williams, who has been besieged by blood clots over the past couple of years, donned the outfit to help promote blood circulation but tournament organizers have banned the catsuit for confusing reasons to say the least.
In an interview with Tennis magazine, French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said the outfit “went too far” but never specified what the line was while concluding his point by saying, “It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place.”
Although Giudicelli’s comments got a response from Nike, who designed the suit, and caused a stir online, Williams offered a classy retort to the mild controversy and said she’s spoken with French Open officials about that matter while adding she has no issue with the federation’s ban of the suit.
Still, the whole thing reeks of trying to mute expression and as tennis legend Billie Jean King noted in a response to an NPR report about the story, it came off as if the federation is attempting to police the bodies of women.
Williams said that the suit, which was designed before Black Panther hit theaters, made her feel heroic. Her response to the ban certainly was.
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Photo: Getty
