"The most bizarre, stupid-looking thing I've seen on a court" - When Pam Shriver commented on Anne White's Serena Williams-like catsuit at Wimbledon
Former tennis player Anne White made headlines by wearing a catsuit at the 1985 Wimbledon Championships, something Serena Williams later donned at the 2018 French Open.
White was unseeded at the grasscourt Major and faced the-then fifth seed Pam Shriver in the first round. She entered the match wearing a one-piece lycra catsuit, which caught the attention of many. Shriver won the first set 6-3 but White fought back in the second and won it 7-6.
At this point, the match had to be halted due to bad lighting and White was told by the-then Wimbledon referee Alan Mills to not wear the catsuit the following day and instead, put on something more appropriate.
Anna White did not wear the same outfit the next day and Pam Shriver eventually won the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
Shriver spoke about White's catsuit after the fixture and claimed that it was the most bizarre, stupid-looking thing she had ever seen on a tennis court.
"I heard all this hooting and hollering and I looked up and I saw this thing. After the match she said that she didn't mean to upset my game, but I wish she would have mentioned it to me before we went out there," Shriver said.
"I mean, you've sat around for three days watching it rain, you finally get out there at 7:20 at night and the first thing you see is this person wearing the most bizarre, stupid-looking thing I've ever seen on a tennis court," she added.
Pam Shriver eventually went on to reach the quarterfinals of the 1985 Wimbledon Championships before losing to eventual champion and then-doubles partner Martina Navratilova.
Anne White spoke out on Serena Williams' catsuit ban at the 2018 French Open
Serena Williams' catsuit at the 2018 French Open stirred up controversy and was eventually banned. The French Tennis Federation's president, Bernard Giudicelli, said that the American's outfit would not be accepted any more.
“I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena’s outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place," Giudicelli said.
Anne White spoke out on the matter and stated that banning Williams' outfit was sexist.
"It's kinda crazy that women aren't allowed to wear what they want to work. It's a shame," White told TMZ Sports.
Serena Williams went on to reach the fourth round of the 2018 French Open with wins over Krystina Pliskova, Ashleigh Barty and Julia Georges. She was scheduled to face Maria Sharapova but pulled out of the tournament due to a pectoral injury.