Tennis pro Serena Williams debuted her new catsuit-styled tennis garb at the French Open this year, claiming that it prevents blood clots and makes her “feel like a superhero.”
Appearing in her first grand slam outing since the 2017 Australian Open, Williams showed off her sleek new gab that she likened to the costumes in the hit Marvel Comics movie Black Panther, Sporting News reported.
“I call it my Wakanda-inspired catsuit,” Williams said adding it was designed for her before the movie came out. “It’s really fun. Although we designed it way before the movie, but still, it kind of reminds me of that.”
Williams, who recently took time off to have a baby, also said that the catsuit made her feel like a superhero.
“I feel like a warrior in it, like a warrior princess kind of… queen from Wakanda maybe,” she joked. “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,” she added.
Williams also made the claim that the new garb has health benefits.
“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,” she added.
“So it is definitely a little functionality to it. 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.
She also said she hoped that her comeback to pro tennis after having her baby would inspire other women.
“Yeah, 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,” she said.
Williams achieved a straight-set 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Kristyna Pliskova on Tuesday.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.