US tennis star Serena Williams has revealed her new look for The French Open, swapping her famous catsuit which caused a stir last year for a newly-introduced zebra-style outfit designed by Nike.
The 37-year-old posted images of her new sports kit on Sunday, just one day before her first-round clash against the unseeded Vitalia Dyachenko of Russia.
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“Let the Roland Garros begin. Here is my French Open look,” Williams wrote, revealing the new outfit for the second Grand Slam tournament of the season.
The costume was met with mixed reactions on social media. “It’s beautiful, but what are you wearing on the court?” one fan quipped, while others poked fun at the outfit's length and unpractical look, joking, “You intend to play with this on?” and “Amazing, it sweeps the court while you are playing!”
Last year, Williams' ‘Black-Panther’ inspired tight bodysuit was severely criticized by the French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli, who promised to toughen up Roland Garros’ dress code prohibiting shape-hugging kits.
“I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena’s outfit, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place,” Giudicelli said last year.
The 23-Grand Slam winner stressed that the full-length black suit was aimed to prevent blood clots, a major health issue which Williams suffered from after giving birth to her daughter.