Alycia Parks’ probable outfit choice has once again sparked the Serena Williams catsuit controversy from 2018. Williams has redefined what it means to be a champion, inspiring generations of ambitious athletes worldwide. But some of her actions on the court have turned out to be a lot more controversial than expected. However, Alycia Parks, one of the rising American tennis sensations, wants to recreate Williams’ controversial moments from the French Open 2018 where she wore a custom-made black catsuit.
While there are a lot of tennis players, including Coco Gauff and Parks, who want to follow the 23-time Grand Slam Champion path, let’s take a look at what the 19-year-old has in mind regarding keeping Williams’ legacy alive.
Serena Williams’ catsuit look was something that created chaos in terms of boldness and represented her personality during the French Open. Recently, years after that act, in an Instagram ‘Ask me a question’ story series, the 19-year-old American tennis sensation was asked, “What are the chances you wear a catsuit like Serena?” Rather than skipping the controversial question, she replied, saying that in the future, there might be possibilities when she makes bold choices, just like her tennis idol. She gave a simple two-word reply and wrote, “I could.”
During the 2018 French Open, Williams made waves with her daring wardrobe choice—a sleek, long-sleeve catsuit. The eye-catching black costume, which was accentuated with a vivid red waistline, caught everyone’s attention and generated a lot of praise from both the media and fans. The 43-year-old American tennis legend was compared by many to a superhero because of her strength and confidence as a new mother.
However, the French Tennis Federation was not amused by the catsuit. French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said in August 2018 – “The combination of Serena this year, for example, it will no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place.”
Moreover, in the same year, the 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed the main reason behind that controversial suit that was not accepted by the French Open organization.
Serena Williams’ real reason behind the ‘superhero’ outfit
As someone who is a huge Marvel fan, after the catsuit outfit went viral, the former world number one herself opened up about the reason behind choosing such an outfit. She said, “I feel like a warrior in it, a warrior princess … from Wakanda, maybe. I’ve always wanted to be a superhero, and it’s kind of my way of being a superhero.”
Not long after winning the Australian Open in 2017, she made her almost two-month pregnancy public. A few months after welcoming her daughter, Serena Williams fought life-threatening blood clot issues – “I’ve had a lot of problems with my blood clots, God, I don’t know how many I’ve had in the past 12 months. I’ve been wearing pants in general a lot when I play, so I can keep the blood circulation going.”
Later she again clarified that the French Open authority initially didn’t realize her motive but later when she explained, they understood her problem. She said, “I told them ‘no, no, no, you don’t understand. This is for my health. I kind of need to wear that and they understood when I said that. They weren’t very happy about it but they understood.”
