There will be less outrage if Serena Williams decides to wear a catsuit at a tennis tournament in 2019. The Women’s Tennis Association released its rule changes Tuesday, and made sure to add a line addressing acceptable apparel.
Both compression shorts and leggings are allowed under the rule clarification.
WTA rule changes for 2019
• # of tourneys using SR moved from 8 to 12
• Rules introduced for SR related to pregnancy
• Main draw singles players who withdraw b/w start of qualies & their R1 match, eligible to receive 100% of R1 💰
• Leggings/compression shorts may now be worn pic.twitter.com/nPrk7KYyC2
— Parsa (@Parsa_Nemati) December 12, 2018
Williams drew the ire of French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli after wearing a black catsuit during the French Open. Williams explained that she wore the suit to empower mothers. Williams had given birth nine months before the tournament. The French Open announced a stricter dress code for 2019 as a result of Williams’ catsuit.
While Williams may not be able to wear the catsuit at the 2019 French Open, she can wear it anywhere else without the outrage. Turns out, even when Williams isn’t playing, she’s still winning.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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