Serena Vs French Open

Serena Williams, the top earning female athlete in the world, according to Forbes, was recently caught in some controversy at the French Open. She wore a black catsuit that was not only fashion-forward but helped with her blood circulation to prevent blood clotting because after giving birth to her daughter, Williams suffered blood clots in her lungs and nearly died. The French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli reportedly said the tournament would be introducing a dress code. He also said It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place.
This type of situation is nothing new for Williams. Over the years she has endured so much discrimination and inequality that this instance is nothing new for her. This year already Willams has been tested for drugs five times which is more than any other female tennis players. In her 23 years of playing professional tennis she has never tested positive.
In the media Williams has often been compared to animals and deemed unattractive due to being muscular and in shape. The press has always tried to make belittle her, in one instance they tried to say she was cheating because she was playing while pregnant. Many times, she has been called many racist remarks, been body shamed and encountered sexism. Despite decades of hardships she stayed consistent and kept winning.
Recently Williams was accused of cheating during the U.S Open, which then led to her arguing with the umpire over the false violations. This, of course, is yet another example of Williams being discriminated against. She responded to this incident with “I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose.” It was clear that she was exhausted, reached her breaking point and had to speak up.
When a black woman in America finally speaks up and expresses their concern they are labeled as ‘angry’ and ‘difficult’. This narrative was given to Willaims finally speaking out after years of being attacked. Not only is this a problem within the tennis community but as the industry as a whole. This narrative is far too familiar to black women everywhere.
Serena Willaims is one of the greatest athletes of our time- with a win percentage of 80%, four Olympic gold medals, 23 Major singles title and many more awards. Despite all the chaos, she has continued to dominate not only tennis but sports in general.