Serena marries fashion and function with Parisian catsuit

PARIS, France - On Tuesday, Serena Williams returned to tennis in more ways than one at the French Open.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion defeated Kristyna Pliskova in the first round, 7-6(4), 6-4 in her first match at a major since winning the 2017 Australian Open and giving birth to her daughter in September.

Read more: Serena back to her winning ways against Pliskova in Paris

While the former World No.1 was back to being victorious on court, it was another return which got people talking - that of her on-court look.

"The cat suit, [it's] the new version, 2.0 (smiling). It's cool. I call it my Wakanda-inspired cat suit. It's really fun. Although we designed it way before the movie, but still, it kind of reminds me of that," Williams told reporters after the match.

"It was comfortable. I tried it on a couple of times before - hadn't tried it on in a long time, like, over a month. I was just winging it in the last minute."

Williams famously donned a catsuit at a major on home soil at the 2002 US Open, and it also featured as part of her practice court wardrobe seven years ago. 

In pictures: Serena's French Open fashion journey

This effort is not just about style for the 36-year-old, however. 

"It's a fun suit, but it's also functional so I can be able to play without any problems," she added. "I had a lot of problems with my blood clots, and, God, I don't know how many I have had in the past 12 months.

"It is definitely a little functionality to it. I have been wearing pants in general a lot when I play so I can keep the blood circulation going. I feel like a warrior in it, like a warrior princess kind of -- queen from Wakanda maybe."

The outfit got many buzzing on social media, too - including some of Williams' peers. 

Whatever the reasons, this sartorial choice is just the latest chapter of her comeback that the three-time French Open champion has embraced. 

"I'm always living in a fantasy world," she said. "I always wanted to be a superhero, and it's kind of my way of being a superhero. I feel like a superhero when I wear it."