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Serena Williams' 'Wakanda-Inspired Catsuit' Is A Hit At French Open

Serena Williams' 'Wakanda-Inspired Catsuit' Is A Hit At French Open

Serena Williams returned to Grand Slam tennis on Tuesday after maternity leave, turning heads at the French Open in what she called a “Wakanda-inspired catsuit.”

Williams said the outfit was designed to help prevent blood clots ― she faced near-deadly complications after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia on Sept. 1 and says she has had several clots in the last year. But the Nike sportswear also had a whimsical side.

It made her feel “like a warrior princess kind of, [a] queen from Wakanda,” she said, referring to the setting of the hit movie “Black Panther.”

“I always wanted to be a superhero, and it’s kind of my way of being a superhero,” said Williams, who defeated Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets in the first round.

Serena Williams won her first-round match in straight sets.
Tim Clayton - Corbis via Getty Images
Serena Williams won her first-round match in straight sets.

The 23-time Grand Slam title winner added that the ensemble ― which actually was designed before “Black Panther” emerged ― was dedicated to “all the moms out there that had a tough pregnancy and had to come back and try to be fierce.”

She gave a similar shoutout on Twitter:

Williams is on the board of advisers to Oath, HuffPost’s parent company.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.