Serena Williams Brought Back the Catsuit for the 2019 Australian Open

Halie LeSavage
Updated

Serena Williams' signature catsuits have been the subject of public fascination since she returned to the tennis court last summer for the French Open wearing a formfitting black style from Nike that would go on to be banned by the French Tennis Federation. (The Women’s Tennis Association stood by Williams, updating its dress codes to approve "mid-thigh-length compression shorts" like hers.) Now, for her first tournament of 2019, the G.O.A.T. is making it clear that the look isn't going away anytime soon.

On January 15, Williams faced Tatjana Maria at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She not only won her first match of the competition, but she did so wearing a familiar silhouette.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 15: Serena Williams of the USA in her first round match against Maria Tatjana of Germany on day two of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

Williams appeared on the court wearing another custom catsuit by Nike. Unlike the French Open one, this version was short and green, with black-and-white stripe details and a keyhole cutout in the back.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 15: Serena Williams of the USA in her first round match against Maria Tatjana of Germany on day two of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

Oh, and she wore it with fishnet tights.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 15: Serena Williams of the United States plays a backhand in her first round match against Tatjana Maria of Germany during day two of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)

Ever since she began her career in the mid-1990s, Williams has dominated the tennis court not only with her incredible skill but with her sense of style. Her latest Nike outfit offers her fans the slightest throwback to the start of her fashion journey: It's reminiscent of her original catsuit, designed by Puma for the 2002 U.S. Open.

UNITED STATES - AUGUST 28: Top seed Serena Williams wears a winning smile on the way to trouncing Dinara Safina of Russia, 6-0, 6-1, in the second round of the U.S. Open at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. (Photo by Howard Earl Simmons/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

Williams' Australia Open look is her first catsuit since the 2018 French Open. That was her first tournament since giving birth, and the divisive look was specifically engineered to prevent blood clots. Though the French Tennis Federation wasn't a fan of it. Nike stood by the athlete, calling Williams a "superhero."

PARIS, FRANCE June 2. French Open Tennis Tournament - Day Seven. Serena Williams of the United States celebrates her win against Julia Goerges of Germany on Court Suzanne Lenglen in the Women's Singles Competition at the 2018 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on June 2nd 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Williams didn't seem too concerned, though: She told ESPN she likely wouldn't wear that catsuit again anyway, because "when it comes to fashion, you don't want to be a repeat offender."

Her Australia Open uniform already has a big fan: Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, tweeted that he was "here" for her romper.

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