Serena Williams: Dressed to Thrill

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday August 27, 2002 12:00 PM EDT

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Serena Williams is the new look of tennis -- and that fact has caused some jaws to drop. Reuters reports that the champ — and the younger sister of Venus Williams, 22 -- caused quite a stir Monday at the opening of the U.S. Open in Forest Hills, N.Y. There were no tennis whites for Williams, 20, who made her way onto Arthur Ashe court in a short-legged, all-in-one, black leather-look, skin-tight outfit with little prom-dress touches: pink wristbands and a diamond tiara. Serena told Reuters that sister Venus liked her look, and Venus is the family critic as well as a design student. "She really liked it," said Serena. "She said it was a great outfit. It is really fun and really exciting and very sexy ... I mean she just basically described me." The fun, exciting and sexy player also acknowledged that her outfit may not be to everyone's liking: "This is a cat suit, it's made of Lycra and it's supposed to have the illusion of looking a little bit like leather from a distance It sticks to the body, it really sticks to what type of shape you have. "If you don't have a decent shape this isn't the best outfit to have." Serena took a 6-2, 6-3 first-round victory over fellow American Corina Morariu.