Serena Williams rocked a tutu in the first round of the U.S. Open, in the midst of a controversy around outfits she’s worn on the court, and fans went wild.
The tennis champion wore a custom-designed tutu by Louis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh and Nike in her Monday match against Magda Linette. In addition to the tutu, she wore NikeCourt Flare trainers and fishnet compression tights.
Williams said the tutu was actually “easy to play in” and even “aerodynamic.” Fans raved about the look:
The tutu look comes on the heels of comments from Bernard Giudicelli, the president of the French Tennis Federation, that the French Open would ban catsuits after Williams wore one during the 2018 tournament. Williams had stated that the “Black Panther”-inspired suit was helpful in preventing blood clots after she had a pulmonary embolism after giving birth to her daughter.
Giudicelli said catsuits “will no longer be accepted,” according to The Associated Press.
“One must respect the game and the place,” he said.
While former tennis star Billie Jean King came to Williams’ defense and said the “policing of women’s bodies must end,” Williams herself had a much lighter response to the whole ordeal.
After indicating she’d found other methods to help with preventing blood clots, Williams quipped: “When it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender.”
