Serena Williams at the French Open 2018. Image: CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP
French Open director Guy Forget says Serena Williams’ attitude defused a potential row over an up-coming dress code that he insists will be far less strict than the one at Wimbledon, French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday.
The idea he said would be to establish a certain level of elegance or as he put it “a Roland Garros style”.
The move comes hot on the heels of a furor following French tennis federation chief Bernard Giudicelli describing the “Black Panther” catsuit American star Williams wore at the French Open in May as “going too far”.
Williams at the time took the announcement in her stride, describing her relationship with the French Open organizers as wonderful.
“He’s (Guidicelli) been so easy to talk to,” Williams said. “My whole team is basically French so, yeah, we have a wonderful relationship.”
Forget congratulated Williams on her attitude.
“With social media everything goes viral these days,” Forget said.
“Serena was perfect, defusing any budding controversy,” he explained.
“The idea with the dress code will be much more flexible than the one at Wimbledon, which has hardened over time,” he said.
Wimbledon has a strict all-white dress code for it’s June lawn tennis tournament.
“Our current regulations allow for anything and with no framework, some feel certain players are a bit too out there,” he said.
“Why not reconcile elegance without harming the creativity of designers,” he suggested.
Forget gave a few examples of over-extravagant outfits including the denim jeans and fluorescent leggings once worn by Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten’s yellow t-shirt in 1997 and Stan Wawrinka’s checked shorts in 2015.
“We have a new stadium renovation and new outfits would reconcile elegance, modernity and practicality,” he said.
Forget went on to say that perhaps the completion of the new look Roland Garros site in 2021 might be the perfect time to introduce the dress code.
Rafael Nadal voiced support for the move from the US Open on Monday explaining he saw no reason the French Open, which he has won eleven times, couldn’t limit what players wear.
“I really believe when you have a tournament like Wimbledon that does what they want you cannot say to another event that they have to do another thing,” he said.
“Why if Wimbledon have their own rules, why can’t Roland Garros?” NVG
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