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 [11].

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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 [12], 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 [13]...

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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.