{"id":178731,"date":"2018-08-27T04:52:41","date_gmt":"2018-08-27T08:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=178731"},"modified":"2018-08-27T04:52:41","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T08:52:41","slug":"fashion-flap-serena-ok-french-open-despite-catsuit-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/08\/27\/fashion-flap-serena-ok-french-open-despite-catsuit-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"Fashion flap: Serena OK with French Open despite catsuit ban"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cWhen it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender.” (File Photo<\/a> By Edwin Martinez\/Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW YORK \u2014 Serena Williams isn’t worried about a dress code at the French Open.<\/p>\n

Her skin-tight black catsuit won’t be welcome, but Williams had already put it back in the closet.<\/p>\n

She no longer needs a full-length outfit for\u00a0health\u00a0reasons and won’t be wearing it again at the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

Besides, for someone with Williams’ style, going back to the same look would be a fashion faux pas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender,\u201d she said Saturday.<\/p>\n

Williams downplayed concerns that were caused this week when the French Tennis Federation president said in Tennis Magazine that the outfit Williams wore this year in Paris would no longer be accepted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne must respect the game and the place,\u201d Bernard Giudicelli said.<\/p>\n

Williams said she had a strong relationship with the federation and had spoken with Giudicelli on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that obviously the Grand Slams have a right to do what they want to do,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like if and when, or if they know that some things are for\u00a0healthreasons, then there’s no way that they wouldn’t be OK with it. So I think it’s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams wasn’t just trying to make a fashion statement when she wore the outfit that she called her \u201cWakanda-inspired catsuit,\u201d referring to the fictional nation in the film \u201cBlack Panther.\u201d<\/p>\n

The full-length leggings were for\u00a0health\u00a0reasons. In what was her first Grand Slam tournament since giving birth to her daughter last Sept. 1, they were a precaution after her\u00a0health\u00a0scare related to blood clots.<\/p>\n

Williams said Saturday she no longer needs to wear them because she found that compression tights also work to keep her blood circulating. She wore tights at Wimbledon, when she made it to the final.<\/p>\n

Though Williams shrugged it off, the French Open decision drew strong reaction from inside and outside of tennis. Billie Jean King wrote on Twitter that \u201cthe policing of women’s bodies must end\u201d while former U.S. star Andy Roddick tweeted that the decision was \u201cso dumb and shortsighted it hurts,\u201d adding that \u201cSometimes it’d be nice if the sport got out of its own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The catsuit controversy briefly overshadowed Williams’ return to the final Grand Slam tournament of the season. Serena is the No. 17 seed and could play sister Venus in the third round. Top-ranked Simona Halep could be an opponent in the fourth round.<\/p>\n

Serena said she hadn’t even looked at what opponents she could face as she hopes to win a 24th Grand Slam singles title, and seventh in New York. She’s one of the favourites, despite some struggles since returning to tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat I would be the favourite at this point, almost a year after having a baby, is quite interesting,\u201d Williams said. \u201cYou know, I don’t know my draw, but I feel like I’m going to have to play \u2014 if I want to be the best, I’m going to have to start beating these people anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hasn’t lately, losing three of her last four matches, dating to her loss to Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final. But at 36, Williams remains respected by her rivals, whatever her results.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe’s one of the greatest players to ever play, if not the best of our generation,\u201d defending champion Sloane Stephens said. \u201cI’m sure she’s ready. I’m sure she’ll have another great tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams said everything in her life feels different as a mother, saying this first U.S. Open since will feel fresh.<\/p>\n

But there is one thing that hasn’t changed. Williams wants to win as badly as before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anything, I have more fire in my belly,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s very hard to describe. It’s very difficult to describe. I thought after having a child I would be more relaxed. I think I’ve said this before, but I’m not.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 Serena Williams isn’t worried about a dress code at the French Open. Her skin-tight black catsuit won’t …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":178732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-178731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fashion-and-beauty","mauthors-brian-mahoney","mauthors-the-associated-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}