Serena Williams' Nike Catsuit Has Been Banned From the French Open

August 24, 2018

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In May, Serena Williams played in the 2018 French Open, her first tournament since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia last summer. She stepped onto the court wearing a black catsuit specially designed for her by Nike—and fans loved it. However, the president of the French Tennis Federation apparently wasn't a fan, and the Associate Press is reporting that the organization is adopting new measures to regulate players' outfits, which would effectively ban a catsuit like Williams'.

In an interview with Tennis magazine, Bernard Giudicelli said that French Tennis Federation would "impose certain limits" on clothing that can be worn during the event, beginning with the 2019 French Open. Per ESPN, he cited Williams' skin-tight black catsuit as an example of a uniform that went "too far."

"It will no longer be accepted," Giudicelli said. "One must respect the game and the place."

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 29: Serena Williams of The United States of America reacts during her women's singles first round match against Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic during day 3 of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on May 29, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)Aurelien Meunier

Williams returned to the French Open this year after the life-threatening delivery of her daughter. In an interview with Vogue, the tennis champion shared that she had a pulmonary embolism removed during her C-section, and suffered from blood clots. The custom Nike catsuit she wore to compete in the French Open took that into account: According to the Guardian, her outfit was engineered to prevent further blood clots while she played tennis.

Not only did the Nike catsuit address Williams' health needs, it was also symbolic of her triumphant return to the court. The one-piece with a single red stripe around the waist was meant to represent "[a]ll the moms out there that had a tough pregnancy and have to come back and try to be fierce, in [the] middle of everything," Williams told USA Today.

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 31: Serena Williams of The United States celebrates victory during the ladies singles second round match against Ashleigh Barty of Ausralia during day five of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on May 31, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by XIN LI/Getty Images)Fred Lee

Across the Internet, people shared outraged reactions to the news of the impending French Tennis Federation dress code, and the fact that it would prohibit Williams' outfit. Some suggested that the move demonstrates discomfort with women's bodies and unfairly penalizes the tennis star. "Serena Williams is almost always singled out in tennis," sports reporter Taylor Rooks tweeted. "It’s not her job to make you feel comfortable."