For her first round match at the Australian Open, Serena Williams decided to kick things off at Melbourne Park in style. I’m mainly referring to the fact that she won the match against Germany’s Tatjana Maria with a straight set win in 49 minutes, but the fact that Williams debuted yet another statement look for the game was also an extra bonus.
Having brought back her signature tutu for a practice session last week (paired with pink sneakers, because of course), the tennis star unveiled a new secret weapon in her sports wardrobe last night—this time ditching the pretty skirt silhouette in favor of a bright turquoise, sleeveless bodysuit, with striped detail down the torso and around the waist, and a cut out on the back.
As if that wasn’t excellent enough all by itself, Williams teamed the bodysuit with a pair of her favorite fishnet tights.
It’s likely that the fishnets are more about substance than style, and acting as compression tights—a type of footwear she's worn numerous times in the past to prevent blood clots after giving birth to her daughter. Last year, Serena’s decision to wear a catsuit caused uproar, and The French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli, announced a controversial catsuit ban from future French Opens.
The outfit was given a suitably cool introduction before the match began, as the mother-of-one arrived on court in an understated, long-sleeved black raincoat and completed her warmup int the cover-up, before revealing her sartorial sport statement to crowds ahead of the game. Unsurprisingly, Twitter went crazy for her latest look.
Speaking after her win, Williams revealed that the garment has officially been named the ‘Serena-tard’. Explaining her choice, the player said: “Nike always wants to make an incredibly strong, powerful statement for mums that are trying to get back and get fit. That was basically it for me.”
So, there’s your gym outfit inspo for the week—if you're not wearing fishnets, it's not worth going.
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