The Black Panther-like catsuit sported by tennis star Serena Williams at the French Open has been banned from future tournaments, a decision that drew swift and severe condemnation on social media.
French Open president Bernard Giudicelli told Tennis Magazine Williams and other players will have to be more conservative in future tournaments (via Independent.co.uk).
"It's a bit late because the collections are already designed but we are going to nonetheless ask the manufacturers to let us know what is coming," Giudicelli said. "I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena's outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place."
Williams wore the Nike-designed skin-tight outfit because it protects against blood clots. The tennis star "almost died" after giving birth to daughter Olympia because of a hematoma, or a swelling of clotted blood outside of a vessel.
"First my C-section wound popped open due to the intense coughing I endured as a result of the embolism. I returned to surgery, where the doctors found a large hematoma, a swelling of clotted blood, in my abdomen. And then I returned to the operating room for a procedure that prevents clots from traveling to my lungs," Williams explained.
"It's cool, I call it my Wakanda-inspired catsuit, it's really fun. Although we designed it way before the movie, but still, it kind of reminds me of that," she said earlier this year. She said at the competition the outfit made her feel "like a warrior princess" and that it allowed her "an opportunity to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids."
Nike issued a response to the controversy with a tweet published Saturday showing Williams in action. "You can take the superhero out of the her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers," the tweet reads, with Nike's iconic "just do it" slogan as the hashtag.
Users on Twitter have since rallied around Williams, criticizing the president and his ban. Some, including sports commentator Keith Olbermann, have dubbed the move "sexist" and "racist."