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Serena Williams Brought Back the Catsuit for the 2019 Australian Open


Serena Williams‘ signature catsuits have been the subject of public fascination since she returned to the tennis court last summer for the French Open, wearing a formfitting black style from Nike that would go on to be banned by the French Tennis Federation. (The Women’s Tennis Association stood by Williams, updating its dress codes to approve “mid-thigh-length compression shorts” like hers.) Now, for her first tournament of 2019, the G.O.A.T. is making it clear that the look isn’t going away any time soon.

On January 15, Williams faced Tatjana Maria at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She not only won her first match of the competition, but she did so wearing a familiar silhouette.

PHOTO: James D. Morgan

Williams appeared on the court wearing another custom catsuit by Nike. Unlike the French Open one, this version was short and green, with black and white stripe details and a keyhole cut-out in the back.

2019 Australian Open - Day 2

PHOTO: James D. Morgan

Oh, and she wore it with fishnet tights.

2019 Australian Open - Day 2

PHOTO: Fred Lee

Ever since she began her career in the mid-1990s, Williams has dominated the tennis court not only with her incredible skill, but with her sense of style. Her latest Nike outfit offers her fans the slightest throwback to the start of her fashion journey: Its reminiscent of her original catsuit, designed by Puma for the 2002 U.S. Open.

Top seed Serena Williams wears a winning smile on the way to

PHOTO: New York Daily News Archive

Williams’ Australia Open look is her first catsuit since the 2018 French Open. It was her first tournament since giving birth, and the divisive look was specifically engineered to prevent blood clots. Though the French Tennis Federation wasn’t a fan of it. Nike stood by the athlete, calling Williams a “superhero.”

2018 French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland Garros.

PHOTO: Tim Clayton – Corbis

Williams didn’t seem too concerned, though: She told ESPN she likely wouldn’t wear that catsuit again, anyway, because “when it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender.”

Her Australia Open uniform already has a big fan: Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, tweeted that he was “here” for her romper.

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Serena Williams Has the Most Epic Response to the French Open's Catsuit Ban


Serena Williams, greatest athlete of our time, has finally spoken about French Tennis Federation’s recently announced ban against the Nike catsuit she wore to compete in the French Open in May 2018.

Williams’ catsuit for the tournament, her first after giving birth to her daughter last year, had a specific purpose: It was engineered to prevent blood clots, which Williams had experienced during her pregnancy. The catsuit was also a hit with fans online, who called it her “superhero suit.” However, the French Tennis Federation’s president recently announced that outfits like Williams’ catsuit would “not be accepted” at the event beginning in 2019.

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When asked at a recent press conference what she thought of the recent changes to the dress code, which targeted her catsuit as “too far,” ESPN reported that Williams had a legendary response.

“When it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender,” Williams deadpanned.

It sounded like Williams is taking the news in stride—and the ban won’t stop her from wearing clothes that address her health needs (while looking incredible) on the court. When asked how she would approach future outfits, she said that she’s “found other methods” to prevent the blood clots she experiences.

Williams also put any rumors of beef with the French Tennis Federation’s president to rest: “We have a great relationship,” she explained. “Everything’s fine, guys.”

Watch her entire exchange with reporters, below.

Before Williams had shared her thoughts on the debacle, Nike came to her defense with a tweet of its own. “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers,” the brand tweeted on Saturday.

So, by the way, did tennis legend Billie Jean King. “The policing of women’s bodies must end,” she tweeted on Saturday. “The ‘respect’ that’s needed is for the exceptional talent ⁦@serenawilliams⁩ brings to the game. Criticizing what she wears to work is where the true disrespect lies.”

There you have it. Williams has served the last word—and we’re sure she’ll be hitting the court in even more epic attire soon.

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Nike Has the Perfect Response to That Serena Williams Catsuit Ban


Serena Williams is basically a superhero, given that she played the French Open in May, her first tournament since giving birth to her daughter in September 2017. Williams did so in a black bodysuit designed especially for her by Nike. Although it looked great—and Williams is known for her on-the-court style—it had a health-related purpose: It was reportedly engineered to prevent blood clots from forming while she competed. (She suffered from blood clots after giving birth.)

Twitter went crazy for the sleek look, but apparently the French Tennis Federation did not: The organization is reportedly considering new regulations that would ban outfits like hers. “It will no longer be accepted,” the federation president said, referring to outfits like Williams’. “One must respect the game and the place.”

PHOTO: Tim Clayton – Corbis

TENNIS-FRA-OPEN-WOMEN

PHOTO: THOMAS SAMSON

However, Nike clearly stands by their catsuit. The company posted a tweet on Saturday that sure reads like a nod to the president’s ban. “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers. #justdoit,” the tweet reads.

Tennis historically has been slow with progress for women: Wimbledon still lists the best female players in the world by their husbands’ names, and it was only this summer that the U.S. Open announced athletes won’t get penalized for pregnancy leave anymore. Although the French Tennis Federation might see themselves as arbiters of style, let’s hope they can embrace an era in which women are neither new moms or athletes, but both simultaneously.

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Serena Williams' Nike Catsuit Has Been Banned From the French Open


In May, Serena Williams played in the 2018 French Open, her first tournament since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia last summer. She stepped onto the court wearing a black catsuit specially designed for her by Nike—and fans loved it. However, the president of the French Tennis Federation apparently wasn’t a fan, and the Associate Press is reporting that the organization is adopting new measures to regulate players’ outfits, which would effectively ban a catsuit like Williams’.

In an interview with Tennis magazine, Bernard Giudicelli said that French Tennis Federation would “impose certain limits” on clothing that can be worn during the event, beginning with the 2019 French Open. Per ESPN, he cited Williams’ skin-tight black catsuit as an example of a uniform that went “too far.”

“It will no longer be accepted,” Giudicelli said. “One must respect the game and the place.”

PHOTO: Aurelien Meunier

Williams returned to the French Open this year after the life-threatening delivery of her daughter. In an interview with Vogue, the tennis champion shared that she had a pulmonary embolism removed during her C-section, and suffered from blood clots. The custom Nike catsuit she wore to compete in the French Open took that into account: According to the Guardian, her outfit was engineered to prevent further blood clots while she played tennis.

Not only did the Nike catsuit address Williams’ health needs, it was also symbolic of her triumphant return to the court. The one-piece with a single red stripe around the waist was meant to represent “[a]ll the moms out there that had a tough pregnancy and have to come back and try to be fierce, in [the] middle of everything,” Williams told USA Today.

2018 French Open - Day Five

PHOTO: Fred Lee

Across the Internet, people shared outraged reactions to the news of the impending French Tennis Federation dress code, and the fact that it would prohibit Williams’ outfit. Some suggested that the move demonstrates discomfort with women’s bodies and unfairly penalizes the tennis star. “Serena Williams is almost always singled out in tennis,” sports reporter Taylor Rooks tweeted. “It’s not her job to make you feel comfortable.”

Williams’ tennis outfits are widely lauded in the fashion and sports communities. Most recently, she revealed some of her looks for the 2018 US Open, which were designed in collaboration with Nike and Off-White’s Virgil Abloh. Williams has not yet commented on the announcement from the French Tennis Federation.

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