Serena Williams' patented black catsuit, the one she said made her feel like like a “queen from Wakanda," has reportedly been banned by French tennis officials. The stricter dress code for the 2019 French Open will not be as strict as Wimbledon, where players are required to wear white, but “certain limits” will be imposed, according to reports.
According to ESPN, The French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli, says the tournament is introducing a dress code to regulate players' uniforms because "I think that sometimes we've gone too far." Giudicelli added, "It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place."
In June, following the first major win since the birth of her daughter, Serena had this to say regarding the catsuit: “It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically, with their body to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves. I feel like a warrior in it, like a warrior princess kind of, queen from Wakanda. 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.”
The Associated Press reports that the French Tennis Federation will seek “an advance look” in order to rule on whether uniforms already in design for players at next year’s French Open meet the new dress code.