Serena Williams of the US in action during her first round match against Czech Republic’s Kristyna Pliskova. (REUTERS)
French Tennis Federation (FFT), organisers of the grand slam French Open, have banned the controversial catsuit that Serena Williams wore this past year. In her first grand slam tournament back after the birth of her daughter, Serena wore an eye-catching black catsuit under searing Paris heat to make heads turn. However, at the time, the organisers didn’t come down heavily on the clothing wear but have now stated that it was “going too far.”
She had described the body hugging outfit as inspired by the ‘Black Panther’ movie and made her feel like a ‘warrior princess’. Further, she insisted it helped her prevent a return of the blood clots which put her life in danger after giving birth last year.
However, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) insist that the outfit or anything similar will not be welcome at the Roland Garros in 2019.
“I really believe that sometimes we have gone too far,” FFT president Bernard Giudicelli told Tennis Magazine in remarks reported by French media. “The outfit of Serena this year, for example, will no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place. Everyone wants to enjoy the showcase.”
Giudicelli said that there will be “certain limits” on clothing for the 2019 French Open although he admitted it may be difficult to be too hard line. “For 2019, it’s a little late because the collections are already designed, but we will still ask the equipment manufacturers to communicate them to us,” he said.