Venus Baring All in Chase of No. 1

PARIS -- Well, this was embarrassing. When Venus Williams served Sunday in the first round of the French Open, photographers were down on the ground, getting as low as possible to get pictures up her dress.

What does it say about women's tennis, always dangerously balancing the sale of sex and sport, when photographers are shooting Venus' serve from the bottom up instead of the top down?

"The outfit is about illusion,'' Williams said. "And that's been a lot of my motif this year.''

Frankly, I'm not even wild about an athlete talking about clothes in competition as an "outfit.'' But that's women's tennis.

Sunday's dress had a see-through front and skin-tone underwear. And the illusion Williams was going for, apparently, was that she had no pants on. That's fine, as this is France, after all. (By the way, she beat Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-3.)

Something a little different is happening with Williams. I have always respected her reserve, her understated elegance in contrast to her sister Serena, who loves the spotlight. Just different styles.

But Venus is clearly thumbing her nose at something here, and I'm kind of liking it. At the Australian Open, she actually had to clarify in a press conference that she was, in fact, wearing underwear. This was a first for any Hall of Fame athlete.

2010 French Open

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Couch: Refueling Nadal-Federer
Bardeen: Cracking the Odds
Recaps: ATP Day 1 | WTA Day 1
More: Injury Watch | Photos

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Draw Analysis

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Spivack: Murray's Early Challenge
Spivack: Roger's Road to Return
More: Tough Path for Henin
Brackets: Men | Women
Williams, who has a fashion degree and fashion company and designs her own dresses, knew what people were saying. You figured it was just a mistake and she would correct it.

Instead, she came to France and took it to the next level, deciding to cover the controversy with something see-through. You don't like what I'm wearing? Tough.

But while Venus seems to be changing her persona, she also is playing some of the best tennis of her life.

Would most people want me to talk about Venus' forehand right now or her backside? I'm connecting the two, because maybe the fashion is making her play better, or maybe it's a reflection of what is making her play so well.

The thing is, she is being less reserved, more aggressive in her personality, and maybe that's helping her game. She has a growing attitude, is increasingly defiant.

Those things help in sports, especially in a game in which you are out there all alone.



Share "Illusion,'' she said. "And it's obviously lace and kind of having that illusion of wearing lace and not having anything take away under it, the nude fabric. So these days, I just have a lot of fun with my designs and my designing and doing different things.''

What is happening here?

And then in the stands in Melbourne, it did appear Venus was going commando, and plenty of people sitting behind her when she served and her dress flew up, were giggling and gasping. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Venus is about to turn 30, old age for tennis, and is one of the game's greatest all-time players. She has never won the French. But she has suddenly worked herself into position to move to No. 1 in the rankings, where she has spent a shockingly small amount of time in her career.

Just 11 weeks. When she moved to No. 2 last week, she tweeted that she was happy for Serena to be No. 1, but that she wanted that top spot.

I asked her after her match Sunday if No. 1 really meant that much to her.

"Everybody wants to be No. 1, especially me,'' she said, "because I'm closer than most of the other players on the tour. So it means a lot, day in, day out. All the hours that I put in, everyone puts in, when you get to the top of the rankings, it definitely is a pat on the back, like this is all worth it. I want to put the work in to be able to get there.''

This is going to cause a stir for tennis, which has broken free of its long-term stuffy image. Still, some corners of the game aren't going to be comfortable with Venus trying to create the illusion of baring all.

It will be interesting to see if the French Open attempts to fine her, or force her to cover up.

"When I design,'' she wrote on her Twitter account during the Australian Open, "I just try to stay true to me and just try to express who I am in the designs.''

Who is she?

Maybe she's someone who has decided to take one more shot at reaching the top with a new-found defiance. If she wins here, I can't wait to see the pictures that come of her holding the trophy over her head.

E-mail me at gregcouch09@aol.com