Tennis superstar Serena Williams triumphantly started her campaign for a 24th Grand Slam title by confidently beating Tatjana Maria at the 2019 Australian Open, but it was her on-court outfit that again became the talking point.
Williams' emphatic 6-0, 6-2 win went by rather unnoticed by social media users, but her green skin-tight playsuit produced a bombshell effect.
Returning to Rod Laver Arena for the first time since winning the Australian Open trophy while pregnant in 2017, the former world number one stepped down to center court on Tuesday wearing the curve-hugging jumpsuit and fishnet stockings, clothing which closely resembles her famous “cat suit” that was banned by the French Open organizers.
Last summer, French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli made a statement emphasizing that tight-fitting outfits will no longer be allowed at the French Open.
“Serena’s outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place,” Giudicelli said at the time.
The Australian Open bosses are apparently not as strict with their dress code, allowing the 37-year-old American to wear her new eye-catching bodysuit.
Williams’ fashion choice however caused mixed reactions on Twitter, with some users openly expressing their disappointment – comparing the player’s outfit to a “garbage bag.”
Other internet users found Williams’ outfit too revealing and not suitable for a tennis game.
Some fans suggested that the multiple Grand Slam winner should have a fashion team to tell her “Serena, don’t wear this.”
Others were inspired by Williams’ on-court style, insisting that the player has always been a trend-setter in the tennis world.