Serena Williams took the court last night at for her first match of the U.S. Open and proceeded to end the evening with a victory, but her skills against opponent Magda Linette of Poland were definitely not the only thing people were buzzing about.
In typical fashion for the greatest tennis player ever, there were a number of topics surrounding Williams, namely her fashion. The most talked-about thing in tennis as of late has no doubt been the epic collaboration from Virgil Abloh and his Off-White line and Nike for the “Queen” collection of footwear and apparel for the tennis icon.
After the controversy surrounding the French Tennis Federation banning her black catsuit from the French Open, everyone was anticipating what Williams would hit the court wearing last night. She certainly didn’t disappoint, as she dominated her match while wearing a black tutu designed by Abloh.
The bold yet elegant design features a tutu skirt with a single-sleeved top. Talking to reporters after the match, she stated that she’d been wanting to play in a tutu for some time. You can get a closer look at it within the full unveil of the Off-White x Nike “Queen” collection.
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While the tennis world may be focusing on her tutu, the sneaker world is naturally more concerned with the footwear. The most hyped of all is the Off-White x Nike Air Max 97 “Queen,” the bold new colorway of Abloh’s original design for the shoe that was part of “The Ten” collection in 2017. The brand first stated that the shoe would be available only in New York during the U.S. Open, but it received a surprise drop nationwide last night before Williams’ match. Even though it was almost impossible to get — it was released in extremely limited quantities via a special system on the Nike SNKRS app where the user had to “scratch” or swipe across an image of the shoe — it still had the sneaker community buzzing, as many voiced their frustrations with missing out on a pair across social media.
The Blazer Mid from the “Queen” collection is yet to release, so keep your eyes peeled and your smart phones ready, because a similar surprise launch may soon be coming.
