You Got Served

Venus shocked fans with her skimpy ensemble at the 2010 French Open, but this isn’t the first time a Williams sister has made headlines for her style choices. After they were snubbed on a ‘10 Most Beautiful’ list at 2009 Australian Open, The Root pulled together this slide show of the tennis duo’s most memorable fashion moments.

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Who Wears Short Shorts?

Getty Images

Who wears skin-colored shorts under a tennis skirt that's likely blow in the air as she serves up 100+ mph tennis balls? Queen of the courts Venus Williams! Now if you think this photo's bad, check out what the Associated Press has floating around on its wires.
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Bursting out on the Scene

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

In his essay on The Root about the diss of the Williams sisters in early 2009, writer Jewel Woods writes: "After more than a decade of dominance in the world of tennis, the Williams sisters still have not managed to raise everyone’s consciousness about what it means to be beautiful."

They've come a long way since 1999, when two black teenagers from California caused a stir on professional tennis courts with their backhands and their braided, beaded hairstyles.
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Before There Was Sasha and Malia...

Even these FAO Schwartz dolls, introduced just before the 2000 U.S. Open, did not do justice to the curvaceous Williams sisters. Whoever shelled out $19.99 for these dolls really got robbed.
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Crowns

Wimbledon: Take that, take that, take that! Serena during the women's first round of the All England Lawn Tennis Championship, London in 2001.
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Pink Boots

The most thrilling thing about watching the Williams sisters in action, in addition to slaughtering their opponents, is just how boldly they flout the all-white dress conventions of the tennis club world. Here's a 2005 shot of Serena Williams warming up during the NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.
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Ginormous Earrings

In 2007, Serena was not about to let a high-stakes Australian Open final mess up her accessories game.
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Unforced Error

Serena in her big blonde phase. Well, they can't all be winners...
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Solid Arms, Solid Win

Serena uses her sculpted biceps to lift up her 2008 Sony Ericsson Trophy.
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Glamour Girls

The sisters show some leg on the front row of a recent Zac Posen fashion show.
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Ferocious Feline

Serena, covered in animal print, strikes a sexy pose for the cameras at Elton John's Oscar event.
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Red Hot

Serena shows some skin in a short, firey red dress.
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Who Needs a Racket

Serena loves to surprise people with her tennis outfits. And playing tennis in skin-tight booty shorts is sure to do the trick. No wonder Jamie Foxx wishes he could be her tennis ball...
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Serena Got Back

Serena may not have the typical backside of a tennis player, but she doesn't try to hid it.
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Lady in Red

Serena poses in a body huggin' red dress with one of her new prizes.
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A Hard Hitter

Serena's curvy silhouette may be an unusual attribute in the tennis community. But we're sure that most people wouldn't mind watching her serve.
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Look at Her Eyes

At a Zac Posen show, the younger Williams sister dresses up her controversial cleavage with a dangling necklace.
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The Queen of Curly

Big wins call for big hair. At a fashion show, Venus lets her curly, black locs fall around her face.
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Our Venus and Our Fire

Venus doesn't have the same curvaceous bod as her sister, but she still knows how to rock her athletic physique.
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Venus Rocks

A leggy Venus rocks a short, sexy dress at a 2004 Fashion Rocks event.
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Low V for Venus

Venus sports a sparkly V-neck ensemble while presenting an award at the 2008 Espys.
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A Giddy Goddess

With short hair and a long dress, Venus shines at a 2008 Metropolitan Museum of Art event.
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America's Next Top Model

Venus is a vision as she glides down a runway in The Heart Truth Red Dress show in 2005.
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Another Wimbledon Win

Venus grins from ear to ear as she holds her 2007 Wimbledon prize, reminding us all why they call her BIG sis'!
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Joy of Motion

Venus and Serena Williams celebrate gold after their victory in the women's doubles tennis final at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
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All Black Beauty

Serena's big sister shows off her grown-up style on David Letterman in the summer of 2007.
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Ripping the Runway

Venus Williams displays a dress from her sister's 'Aneres' collection during a charity fashion show in 2003.
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You Got Served

'Nuff said.