"An incredibly powerful statement for moms that are trying to get back"- When Serena Williams dazzled Australian Open with her 'Serena-tard' outfit
Serena Williams once spoke about her outfit at the 2019 Australian Open, calling it a "Serena-tard".
The American's 23rd Grand Slam triumph came at the 2017 edition of the Melbourne Major when she was a few months pregnant. The 2019 tournament was her first at the Australian Open since giving birth to her daughter Olympia and she started her campaign with a 6-0, 6-2 drubbing of Tatjana Maria.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Serena Williams spoke about her unique outfit, which was a bright green playsuit designed by Nike. The American said that the design was made in advance as she tried to be fit and ready for the first Grand Slam of the year.
"Yeah, no, well, we design really far in advance at Nike. I knew that I have been working really, really hard in the offseason to be incredibly fit and incredibly ready. You know, I took a year off, and, you know, just get back with still trying to get 12 months under my belt of playing, actually," Williams said.
Williams also said that Nike aimed at making an "incredibly strong, powerful statement" for mothers who were always trying to get fit:
"Yeah, I wanted to be fit. I came back. Nike always wants to make an incredibly strong, powerful statement for moms that are trying to get back and get fit. That was basically it for me."
When asked what her outfit was, the then-37-year-old responded by calling it a "Serena-tard".
"It's a Serena-tard."
Serena Williams defeated the likes of Tatjana Maria, Eugenie Bouchard, Dayana Yastremska and Simona Halep to reach the quarterfinals of the 2019 Australian Open, before being eliminated by Karolina Pliskova.
Serena Williams won seven Australian Open singles titles throughout her career
Serena Williams is one of the most successful players in the history of the Australian Open with seven singles titles to her name, which is an Open Era record among women. Only Margaret Court has had more triumphs than Williams at the Melbourne Major (11).
Williams' first title at the Australian Open came in 2003 when she beat her sister Venus Williams in the final. Her second, third and fourth titles came in 2005, 2007 and 2009, with wins over Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina in the respective title clashes.
The American defended her title in 2010 with a win over Justine Henin in the final to mark her fifth win at Melbourne. She did not lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup until 2015, when she triumphed over Maria Sharapova in the title clash.
Serena Williams' last Australian Open crown came in 2017 after defeating Venus Williams in the final. She also won four women's doubles titles at the Melbourne Major, with her sister being her partner on each occasion.