NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot to Roberta Vinci of Italy during their Women's Singles Semifinals match on Day Twelve of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Serena Williams was severely mocked and criticized after she chose to wear a black outfit with leggings — nicknamed a “catsuit” — to compete at the French Open earlier this year.
On Monday, the 36-year-old superstar decided to ditch that outfit for a black tutu for her first-round U.S. Open game. The garment was reportedly custom-designed by Nike and renown Luis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh, a friend of rapper Kanye West.
Williams also donned Nike sneakers and fishnet tights. The 23-time Grand Slam champion thanked Abloh after the designer captioned a photo of her on his Instagram page: “Willing to design dresses for her for life.”
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In a press conference after her 6-4, 6-0 first-round victory over 68th-ranked Polish player Magda Linette on Monday, Williams — who is seeking her sixth U.S. Open singles title — called her new outfit “aerodynamic” because it lets one of her arms be more “free,” and added it’s “easy to play in.”
Williams previously said that her catsuit was inspired by the hit Marvel superhero film Black Panther and that it helped her avoid blood clots following health complications she faced after her daughter was born. French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli recently announced that such outfits would now be banned from the French Open.
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On Saturday, Williams did not seem remotely outraged over Giudicelli’s decision.
Williams will next face 23-year-old German Carina Witthöft in a second-round U.S. Open match on Wednesday night.
Here are some of the top fan reactions to Williams’ tutu:
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