Serena Williams considers the black bodysuit she wore at the French Open much more than a fashion statement.

There's a practical reason for the full-length legs on the skintight outfit: The aim is to protect her because of past bouts with blood clots.

There also is a message she wanted to send about self-worth and feeling powerful as she returned to Grand Slam action with a first-round victory at Roland Garros on Tuesday, about nine months after giving birth to a daughter.

"It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically, with their body to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves," Williams said after beating Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Court Philippe Chatrier. "I definitely feel like it is an opportunity for me to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids."

The outfit called to mind Williams' black "catsuit" that she wore at the 2002 U.S. Open. It also was reminiscent of the white bodysuit that American player Anne White wore at Wimbledon in 1985.

Williams referred to what she wore Tuesday as the "catsuit — the new version, 2.0."

"I call it, like, my Wakanda-inspired catsuit," referring to the fictional nation in the film "Black Panther."

"We designed it way before the movie," she said, "but still, it kind of reminds me of that."

Williams said she feels "like a warrior princess, kind of," when she wears the outfit.

"I'm always living in a fantasy world," she added. "I always wanted to be a superhero, and it's kind of my way of being a superhero."

Tuesday's match was the first at a major tournament for the 23-time Grand Slam champion in 16 months.

She gave birth on Sept. 1, then dealt with complications related to a pulmonary embolism.

"I had a lot of problems with my blood clots, and, God, I don't know how many I have had in the past 12 months. So it is definitely a little functionality to it," Williams said. "I have been wearing pants in general a lot when I play, so I can keep the blood circulation going. It's a fun suit, but it's also functional, so I can be able to play without any problems."

 

Congrats, Mum: Serena Williams wins Slam return in Paris

For all that has changed in the 16 months since Serena Williams last played in a Grand Slam tournament — she is now married and a mother — so much was familiar about her at the French Open on Tuesday.

The fashion statement, this time in the form of a black bodysuit with a red waistband. The cries of "Come on!" The big serves that provided 13 aces. The return game that produced three consecutive breaks of serve.

And, yes, the victory. Competing as a mom for the first time at a major, and only about nine months since giving birth to her daughter, Williams beat 70th-ranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Roland Garros.

"I'm just happy to win a match here," Williams told the crowd in Court Philippe Chatrier. "I'm just happy to take it a day at a time."

The 36-year-old American had not played in one of tennis's biggest tournaments since the Australian Open in January 2017, when she won her 23rd Grand Slam title. That broke a tie with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era. The only player with more major singles championships was Margaret Court, with 24, but those were split between the amateur and professional eras.

Only later did Williams reveal that she was pregnant at the time. Her baby was born on Sept. 1, and Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in November.

The first glimpse of Williams as she prepared for her comeback came in an exhibition in December against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Next came a doubles match with older sister Venus for the U.S. Fed Cup team in February. Then came singles matches that actually counted, with two wins at Indian Wells, California, before a loss to Venus, followed by a first-round loss at the Miami Open on March 21.

Williams then took another break to work on her game, and that absence of more than two months ended Tuesday. And what a striking return it was, right down to the outfit — which called to mind the "catsuit" Williams wore at the 2002 U.S. Open — and was paired with black high-top sneakers sprinkled with silver glitter.

The very first game featured an ace at 112 mph (181 kph) and when it ended with Pliskova netting a backhand, the chair umpire intoned, "Jeu, Madame Williams," — French for "Game, Mrs. Williams," a change from the "Mademoiselle" officials use for unmarried female players.