Serena Williams made it clear she isn’t letting anything cramp her on-court style.
For the stylish 23-time Grand Slam champion’s first match of the 2018 U.S. Open, Williams sported a one-shoulder black athletic tennis dress with a ballerina-esque tutu skirt. The outfit was created by Louis Vuitton and Off-White designer Virgil Abloh in collaboration with Williams for Nike’s “Queen” collection, which she accessorized with a pair of shimmery silver sneakers, a leather jacket with a utility strap, and a matching tennis bag that was appropriately labeled “AKA QUEEN” with Abloh’s signature quotation marks.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Williams, who emerged from her first round of the US Open victorious, made headlines for her on-court fashion just days earlier after French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli told Tennis Magazine that the catsuit that Williams wore to the tournament this year will “no longer be accepted…one must respect the game and the place.”
Williams was quick to address this in a video shared by ESPN, saying “obviously the grand slams have a right to do what they want to do, but I feel like if and when or if they know that some things are for health reasons then there’s no way that they wouldn’t be okay with it.” After noting that she wears tight designs to prevent the blood clots she’s been experiencing after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian last year; she said they would “come to an understanding.”
Tennis greats like Billie Jean King and Chris Evers supported Williams.
Williams’ US Open tutu garnered top scores from tennis and fashion enthusiasts alike, many of whom took to the Internet to share their feelings about the matter.