by Vanessa M. Gezari
A frisson rippled through the crowd watching Venus Williams at the French Open this weekend-not because she handily beat her opponent, but because she did so wearing a lacy black and red outfit that resembled a negligee. Williams's dress had a clingy bodice and flared skirt and appeared "see-through," according to the AP. Among the photos from the match were two in which Williams's skirt blew up to reveal not her girly parts, but an artfully modest pair of flesh-colored shorts.
The Huffington Post notes that Williams's little black number was her "most talked-about on-court apparel choice" since the abbreviated yellow-green dress she wore at the Australian Open in January. That yellow dress, like the transparent-seeming black one at theFrench Open, led some viewers to wonder whether Williams was wearing underwear. That this question was asked about a sports star of Williams' stature seems bizarre. Of course she's wearing underwear. She's a professional athlete, people! In case anyone didn't notice, Williams is interested in the dramatic potential of her on-court appearance.