Arguably the best tennis player of all time, Serena Williams flaunted a tutu at the US Open. The move was in response to the French Tennis Federation's decision banning her blood clot-preventing catsuit.
The new mom had earlier compared her super look and new attire to the fictional nation from Marvel – Wakanda. She said she came straight from Marvel Comics’ Black Panther. “I call it like my Wakanda-inspired catsuit. It’s really fun,” she said.
However, she was unfairly scrutinized for her physical appearance in the costume. The constant criticism of being "shapely", "muscular," and "masculine" body have followed her like shadows, and her clothing was widely shamed too. But our superstar knows how to handle the body-shaming with confidence.
So, when the French Open banned her badass Black Panther-inspired catsuit, Twitterati came back in the best possible way, supporting the tennis ace in her best look.
For a number of insecure people, the suit is obscene. For Serena, the bodysuit represents comfort and medical assistance. Besides making her look cool, the outfit served a medical purpose. "I’ve had a lot of problems with my blood clots," Serena revealed, speaking to reporters at the French Open, vt.co reported. "God, I don’t know how many I’ve had in the past 12 months. I’ve been wearing pants in general a lot when I play, so I can keep the blood circulation going."
The catsuit helps her deal with bloodclots she suffered when giving birth.
Bernard Giudicelli, president of the French Tennis Federation, announced a strict dress code for future games, singling out Serena's outfit choice. In a recent interview, he announced that the compression bodysuit "will no longer be accepted".
"One must respect the game and the place," ordered Giudicelli, according to the Associated Press.
Responding to the unfair declaration, tennis legend and women's rights activist Billie Jean King defended Serena Williams. "The policing of women’s bodies must end," wrote Billie Jean on Twitter on Saturday.
"The 'respect' that's needed is for the exceptional talent Serena Williams brings to the game. Criticizing what she wears to work is where the true disrespect lies."
READ: Fed Cup Doubles: Serena Returns with Sister, Olympia Watches Mum
And, Jesse said it!
Interestingly, Serena took the discouragement playfully and on her US Open debut, the tennis champion stunned the trolls with her new outfit: a single-sleeved dress with a black tulle tutu, looking absolutely badass.
" kind of aerodynamic with the one arm free. It feels really good," Serena told reporters, Elle reported. "Yeah, the tutu is easy to play in because I practiced in it before. That was fun."
Let us all celebrate Serena's fitting reply:
Feature Image Credit: REUTERS
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