Serena Williams won't be able to wear her black catsuit at the French Open.
The French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli told Tennis Magazine (as New York Times points out) they'll be implementing a new dress code because ''I think that sometimes we've gone too far.'' And in case there was any confusion, Giudicelli used Williams' sleek black catsuit as an example. "'It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place," he said.
Williams first donned the Nike-designed catsuit at the 2018 French Open earlier this year. At the time, she gushed over how it made her think differently about herself.
“I feel like a warrior in it, like a warrior princess kind of, [a] queen from Wakanda," she said at the press conference after her match with Kristyna Pliskova. "I’m always living in a fantasy world. I always wanted to be a superhero, and it’s kind of my way of being a superhero. I feel like a superhero when I wear it."
She also went to Instagram to share her look. "Catsuit anyone? For all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancy—here you go. If I can do it, so can you. Love you all!!" read the caption next to a photo of Williams serving looks in the catsuit as she gears up to serve a tennis ball.
Although most tennis players already have their uniforms ready to go for next year's French Open, Giudicelli said they'll be asking manufacturers to look at the designs in advance to make sure it's in line with their new rules.
In the meantime, tweeters are getting at Giudicelli for they say is an unwarranted move.
The French Open, which Williams has won three times, is slated to take place from May 26, 2019 to June 9, 2019.
