Serena Williams recently spoke about the controversial outfit she wore at the 2018 French Open, which generated a lot of social media buzz.
Williams’ penchant for fashion has always pushed her clothing sponsor, Nike, to the absolute limit of its creativity. Just a few months after giving birth to her first daughter, Olympia, the former World No. 1 walked onto Philippe Chatrier dressed in a full black bodysuit.
It was Serena’s first Grand Slam tournament since she won the 2017 Australian Open while being eight weeks pregnant. Instead of the post-match reaction being centered around her straight sets win over Kristyna Pliskova, the discourse raged about the American’s dress code.
In an interview with CNN’s Amanda Davies, the 23-time Grand Slam champion was unaware that her choice of outfit at the tournament would spark a rather unsettling debate and controversy.
“I didn’t know it would have such an impact. Here I am, just trying to be healthy, I was a new mom and just trying to be me. It was a great moment. I didn’t know it would cause such a stir.”
Serena previously stated that the move to wear the skintight dress was meant to inspire pregnant women. She opined that it made her feel like a “warrior” on the court because it was “so different.”
“Oh my God, now I’m getting sad memories because I miss it. Oh no, now I’m like: ‘I want to go home and put it on, and of course, I want to play and slide around on some clay. Oh, such good memories.”
Additionally, the former world No. 1 explained that the custom-made outfit helped with blood circulation and minimized the risk of clotting. When she welcomed her first child, Serena recalls having a near-death experience because of a swelling of clotted blood.
The outfit has since been a symbol of inspiration in a high-end Parisian museum. However, the French Tennis Federation banned the bodysuit just months after the tournament, a move that attracted criticism from WTA legend Billie Jean King.
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