Share

Serena attitude 'diffused dress code' row

Paris - French Open director Guy Forget says Serena Williams' attitude diffused 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 furore 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 organisers 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. 

"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.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1777 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1083 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE