Serena Williams debuts at Australian Open in statement piece – a pink, red and black long-sleeved catsuit inspired by athlete Florence Griffith-Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo.
The asymmetrical bodysuit is another example of Williams continuing to push the boundaries of Fashion in athletics and is reminiscent of her bodysuit from the 2002 US Open and 2018 French Open.
Florence Griffith Joyner (or Flo-Jo) is an American track star who set the world record in 1988 for both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Though she died in 1998, Joyner remains the fastest woman of all time.
She was also known for her vibrant fashion sense on and off the field—which included multiple one-legged track looks.
“I was inspired by Flo-Jo, who was a wonderful track athlete, amazing athlete when I was growing up,” Williams said in a postmatch interview. “Watching her fashion just always changing, her outfits were always amazing. This year we thought of, What can we do to keep elevating the Serena Williams on the court? The Nike team actually thought of this design of inspiration from Flo-Jo. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so brilliant.’”
"This year we thought of what can we do to keep elevating the Serena Williams on the court."
The story behind @serenawilliams's #AO2021 outfit 🙌 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/xpN288AXsp
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
Tune in to Tennis Channel to catch the Australian Open Starting February 8th thru the 21st!
