Serena Williams made her return to grand slam competition on Tuesday in true fierce style as she donned a figure-hugging black catsuit for the French Open.
And after seeing off her opponent Kristyna Pliskova 7-6, 6-4, she took to Twitter to reveal the inspiration behind the daring look.
‘Catsuit anyone? For all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancy – here you go. If I can do it, so can you. Love you all!!’
The tennis champion, who had to undergo an emergency c-section with her daughter Alexis Jr last year, developed multiple blood clots after the delivery and nearly died from complications.
Serena, 36, previously revealed that she had almost died from serious complications after giving birth to her first child Alexis Jr
Fans were delighted by the post, and promptly labelled the champion athlete a ‘superhero’ for her post.
Serena Williams, 36, has revealed why she was inspired to wear a black catsuit for her return to the French Open, saying she did it for other mothers who have struggled to recover from birth
The tennis champion almost died after suffering multiple blood clots following the birth of her first child Alexis Jr. last year
Earlier this year, Serena opened up about her difficult birth, explaining that small blood clots were discovered on her lungs soon after she gave birth.
A pulmonary embolism resulted in bouts of coughing so severe that her cesarean wound reopened.
She was dealt with another blow when doctors discovered a large hematoma and she was bedridden for six weeks.
Williams’ ranking plummeted as she sat out the past year due to her pregnancy and later maternity leave.
Fans hailed Serena a hero after her motivational Twitter post and said she was an inspiration
It has now been over a year since Williams last entered a grand slam, winning the 2017 Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant with her first child.
It has been just nine months since Serena gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., saying from the start of her pregnancy that her goal was to get back on tour — but not until she knew that she could win.
Williams, the greatest female tennis player of all time, made her return to grand slam competition on Tuesday at Roland Garros, and she made it clear she is still a force to be reckoned with on the court.
In a straight-set match, an unseeded Williams dispatched of Kristyna Pliskova 7-6, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open.
The tennis champ revealed that she wanted to show all new mothers that they too can bounce back, after she battled through a difficult recovery to return to the court