Tennis star Serena Williams stirred a commotion at the French Open by donning forbidden attire prior to defeating her sister Venus in their match.
Fearless and Fashion-Forward: The Life and Times of Serena Williams
This tennis titan redefined the sport on and off the court. Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, is acknowledged as the greatest female tennis player of all time.
With career earnings exceeding $95 million, Serena never shied away from breaking boundaries, particularly in the realm of fashion. Her unprecedented style on the court led to an entire rule change at the 2018 French Open.
In 2002, during her prime, Serena made headlines for her strikingly fashionable attire, not for any rule infractions but for the distinctive World Cup vibe she channeled at the French Open.
Seizing the moment, the tournament overlapped with the World Cup in Japan and Korea that year. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, headed by the legendary Samuel Eto'o, were embroiled in their own kit controversy that summer. Their sleeveless shirts were banned from the World Cup by FIFA due to a technicality regarding "vests" and "shirts."
To protest against FIFA's decision, the Cameroonian squad wore the same shirts but with black sleeves in the tournament. Interestingly, Puma, the creative minds behind the Cameroonian squad's shirts, were also Serena's sponsor that year.
Inspired by the World Cup spirit, Serena and Puma collaborated on a unique, Cameroon-inspired outfit for her to wear at Roland Garros during the first two rounds of the tournament. The outfit was a sleeveless, green dress featuring red, black, and yellow accents, symbolizing the Cameroonian national team.
Up Puma's sleeve, they had a surprise up their sleeve for Serena. She wore yellow high socks, matching shoes, and a vibrant green and yellow headband, completing her tribute to the African nation. Even Serena had the number 26 stitched onto the back of her dress in honor of her birth date, but the tournament organizers were not on board with this particular touch.
"Since I always wear sleeveless things, Puma came up with this idea for me during the French Open to wear the Cameroon outfit, which is really exciting," Serena explained at the time. "I was reading an article where it says that Cameroon is everyone's favorite team, whether you're supporting England or not, because they always fight incredibly hard."
Unfortunately, Cameroon didn't make much headway in the World Cup that year, failing to move beyond their group stage. However, Serena's performance at the French Open was a different story. Although she switched up her outfit later in the tournament, she went on to win her first French Open title.
In a series of historical milestones, Serena claimed four straight majors, achieving the so-called "Serena Slam," and defeated her sister Venus in three consecutive finals. The 2002 French Open would remain the only Grand Slam championship held on the Parisian clay between the nine Williams sisters finals.
Four years later, in 2013, Serena Williams would win her second French Open title, then another in 2015 before retiring from tennis in 2022, at the age of 43.
Despite all her accomplishments, family remains her top priority. She took to social media to announce her retiral in August 2022, stating, "Even though I don't want my career to be over, I'm ready for what's next. I started a family, and I want to grow that family."
Her younger sister, Venus, is still active in the WTA and even extended her career outside tennis as a broadcaster for TNT Sports during the 2023 French Open.
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[1] https://www.puma.com/us/en/news/rugby/puma-and-cameroon-partnership-showcases-tradition-and-innovation-7172352-2227843[5] https://www.lenotrejournal.com/2018-06-01-article-serena-williams-etail-libertine-2-son-modele-a-teinte-les-coupures-1866648
Serena Williams, known for her fashion-forward approach in sports, found inspiration from the World Cup in 2002. She collaborated with Puma to create a Cameroon-inspired outfit for the French Open, paying tribute to the Cameroonian national team.
Interestingly, Puma was also the creative minds behind the Cameroonian squad's shirts for the World Cup that year, leading to a unique collaboration between the tennis star and her sports sponsor.
The outfit, a sleeveless green dress with red, black, and yellow accents, symbolized the Cameroonian national team. This incident occurred during a time when the Cameroonian squad faced a kit controversy in the World Cup, with their sleeveless shirts banned by FIFA due to a technicality.
