Serena Williams' Catsuit Controversy: Racism And Sexism Alive And Well At The French Open

Why do the French have to be so very...well...FRENCH???

Serena Williams returned to the Grand Slam Circuit in the grandest of style less than a year after the birth of her daughter, Alexis Olympia. Not only did she win the match, she won it in a Wakanda-inspired catsuit that looked fierce and served the critical medical purpose of preventing blood clots. She nearly died from an embolism right after her daughter's birth. Since then, Williams has suffered from many clots, and they can be life-threatening. The skintight pants help with her circulation, giving her much-needed medical reassurance while she dazzles the world with her super-hero-like artistry on the court.

“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,” Williams said, after beating Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I definitely feel like it is an opportunity for me to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids.”...

“I had a lot of problems with my blood clots, and, God, I don’t know how many I have had in the past 12 months. So it is definitely a little functionality to it,” Williams said.

“I have been wearing pants in general a lot when I play, so I can keep the blood circulation going. It’s a fun suit but it’s also functional, so I can be able to play without any problems.”

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