Serena Williams' all-black catsuit will be banned from the French Open: 'One must respect the game'

Serena Williams, one of the top tennis players in the world, won't be allowed to wear the athletic gear of her choice, Sports Illustrated reported Friday.

Williams has won the French Open tournament three times, but this year, the French Tennis Federation's president wants her to compete in different clothes. The tennis star has worn an all-black catsuit to the tournament, which she has said makes her feel like a "superhero" and was designed to help prevent blood clots.

The federation's president, Bernard Giudicelli, said the outfit would "no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place." He said the tournament would "impose certain limits," but did not say whether they would be uber-specific, like Wimbledon's requirement that players wear white.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"I think that sometimes we've gone too far," Giudicelli said of non-traditional uniforms. Williams told Sporting News in May that her team had designed the suit to improve blood circulation. "I had a lot of problems with my blood clots," she said. "It's a fun suit, but it's also functional so I can be able to play without any problems."

Williams has said that she sometimes feels that tennis officials put her under unfair scrutiny, with measures like additional drug testing. "They sure don't throw a dart at other people, huh?" she remarked to Time, discussing the racism and gender discrimination she's faced in the sport. Giudicelli said the French Tennis Federation will now be reviewing player uniforms for approval ahead of the 2019 tournament. Read more at Sports Illustrated.