Serena Williams Speaks Out About Her Black Catsuit Being Banned at French Open
The black bodysuit tennis pro Serena Williams wore at this year's French Open is causing quite a frenzy.
Last Friday, The Associated Press reported the French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli, did not approve of the curve-hugging one-piece, saying "It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place" in an interview with Tennis Magazine.
A dress code will be implemented going forward because "I think that sometimes we’ve gone too far."
The form-fitting ensemble was designed to help circulation and avoid blood clots, which Williams explained she has been experiencing for 12 months before the grand slam at the Roland-Garros press conference. However, it wasn't just a functional uniform; it also made a statement for her as a female athlete and mother as this was her first-round victory since giving birth to daughter Olympia followed by serious health complications.
"It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically, with their body to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves," she said.
She continued to call the piece her "Wakanda-inspired catsuit" reminiscent of the superhero film Black Panther and added, "I’m always living in a fantasy world. I always wanted to be a superhero and it’s kind of my way of being a superhero."
So you could only imagine how her fans reacted to Giudicelli's comments, but Williams had the politest response like the true lady she is during a press conference for the U.S. Open.
"Obviously, the grand slams have a right to do what they want to do, but I feel like if and when or if they know that some things are for health reasons then there’s no way that they wouldn’t be OK with it, so I think it'll be just fine," she said.
She seemed unfazed by the comments and said Giudicelli was "so easy to talk to."
"The president of the French Federation, he's been really amazing and he's been so easy to talk to. My whole team is basically French, so yeah, we have a wonderful relationship. So yeah, I'm sure we would come to an understanding and everything will be OK, and um yeah, so it wouldn't be a big deal. He's a really great guy."
She continued to say she has already talked with him and jokingly assuring, "Everything is fine, guys" and said she has "found other methods, and when it comes to fashion you don't want to be a repeat offender, so it will be a while before this even has to come up again."
See husband Alexis Ohanian cheer on Williams at Wimbledon:
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