Venus Williams and the Top 20 Most Inappropriate Sports Outfits

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Venus Williams, you never fail to disappoint us.

With every new Grand Slam, Venus looks to promote her personal clothing line with some new outside-the-box outfit.  And it seems like through the years, she's only been getting more and more out there with her styles.

It's time like these that we here at Bleacher Report like to take a moment to salute all those fashion faux pas of days gone by.  To the way back machine!

20) Anything Andre Agassi Wore Back in the Day

If image was everything for you, why'd you choose this as your image?

Agassi engaged in the most radical transformation of anyone I can remember, going from this, to a bald guy with no earrings, headbands or denim.

Yeah, did you catch that?  Maybe it was lost in all the neon yellow and flowing hair.  And I love the compression shorts under the denim.  Classic.

19) Venus' Is a Firework at The 2010 US Open

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As Venus' outfits go, this one is actually fairly reserved.  It also had a specific meaning, as she claimed she wanted to pay tribute to New York with the fireworks motif.

The only problem was, it was so sparkly and shiny, especially when she wore it at night, that it became a very real distraction for her opponents.  It was very difficult to keep your eye on the ball when Venus was glittering it up on the other side of the court.

Next time, Venus, put down the bedazzler.

18) Serena Likes Pastels at The 2010 French Open

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Perhaps she was trying to one-up her older sister here, whose own outfit from this tournament appears much higher up this list and really caused a stir.

This was definitely the more colorful of the two wardrobes.  The Williams' sisters seem to have a specific goal of distracting their opponents as much as possible with what they're wearing.

She just needs some fruit on her head here to really nail down what she's going for.

17) Cathy Freeman's Colorful Bodysuit at the 2000 Olympics

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Ah, now I see, Serena was just following the trail first blazed by Cathy Freeman, the Australian track and field star, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Freeman went the aerodynamic route that we'll see crop up a few other times on this list.  I get the thought, but the execution is all wrong.

And the shoes.  How do they fit the effort?  Did you forget you had to wear shoes until the last minute, and then just threw on the first pair you could find?  Oh, you did?  Well then.

16) Martina Hingis Can't Decide at The 2001 French Open

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Martina, you came so close to pulling off something stylish, elegant, classy and functional.

But it went all wrong when you couldn't decide whether to wear short sleeves or long sleeves.  It's really not that hard.  It's a choice billions of people around the world make every single day.

Well, every day but one, apparently.

15) Venus Half-a-Dress at the 2011 Aussie Open

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At least this time around she was wearing black shorts underneath.

The newest incarnation of Venus' fashion sense had her top half almost blending in to the teal blue background of the court, and her bottom half...well...there.

She was able to keep her focus firmly on her tennis, at least, as opposed to everyone else.  She calmly dispatched her first round opponent in straight sets.

Yay, she gets to wear it again!

14) Bethanie Mattek Makes Her Claim for the Throne

Bethanie Mattek is the one other player that actually competes blow-for-blow with the Williams sisters.

Oh no, not with her game, not even close.  With her outfits, I mean.  Like this one from the 2006 US Open.  It's like she should be on stage singing something about the sun shining in, and the Age of Aquarius.

Keep clicking for more from this emerging fashion icon.

13) Daria Gavrilova Shows That Juniors Aren't Immune

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Owww.  Stop yelling at me!  Too loud!

Daria Gavrilova isn't very well known yet, but she's one of the top juniors on the world circuit.  She came to the 2010 Australian Open apparently determined to make people remember her.  She did it not just with her play, but with her neon pink outfit.

Note the white chalky sunscreen caked on her face that accessorizes the piece.

12) Bethanie Mattek Throws It Back to the 80's at Wimbledon

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Another gem from Bethanie.  She wore this while facing (and losing to) Venus Williams at Wimbledon back in 2006.

So it's probably another case of her trying to compete, fashion-wise.  But with the high socks and the short shorts, she seems more to be channeling John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg than anyone else.

The all-white code at Wimbledon at least makes people get creative with their bad styles.  They can't use crazy colors as a crutch.

11) Jennifer Capriati Flies Her Flag at the 2003 US Open

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She can be forgiven for trying to be patriotic.  It's not the first, and it won't be the last time the American Flag is incorporated into an outfit.  But it's one of the worst times.

Chalk this up as another entry in the "just too damn loud" category.  I can't look at this dress without the Star-Spangled Banner forcing its way into my brain.

At least our country's colors aren't yellow and pink.

10) Maria Sharapova Goes Under the Sea at The 2010 Aussie Open

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Generally speaking, Maria Sharapova's on-court attire is stylish and classic.  Nike chooses various fashionable dresses for her to wear.

They lost their minds a bit for the 2010 Australian Open, however.  It seems they were trying to appeal to the Aussie fans with the color scheme, but it just doesn't work.

Maybe if she had fins and a pet crab.

9) Bethanie Mattek's Leopard Print Ensemble at The 2007 US Open

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Bethanie Mattek makes another appearance, and this one may be her best.

She emerged from the tunnel at Arthur Ashe Stadium for her doubles final in 2007 looking like she was trying to blend in on the African savannah.  Did you check the visor?

Oh, Bethanie.  We love you.

8) Anne White's Bodysuit at Wimbledon in 1985

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Anne White caused a major stir at the world's most traditional and conservative tennis tournament back in 1985 when she removed her warmup attire and revealed this getup.

She claimed that it aided her aerodynamics.  After the match was called due to darkness with one set still to be played, the chair umpire told her to come back the next day in something else.

Hey, in her defense, the Wimbledon rules only state that you have to be wearing white.  Was she not?

7) Serena Channels Andre at The 2004 US Open

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Hey, I get it.  She wanted to pay homage to one of the great elder statesmen of the game by honoring the hideous things he used to wear back in the day.

Whatever she was thinking, this time the outfit didn't help her play, as she was eliminated by Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals.

The black socks perfectly balance this ensemble, don't they?

6) Flo-Jo's No-No's

Florence Griffith-Joyner was an American track and field star in the 1980's, and designed many of her own outfits.  And they were certainly daring, especially for the time.

Looking back on many of them now, though, they just weren't right.  While this shiny outfit may be wind resistant, what are her panties doing on the outside?  Did you get dressed backwards again, Flo-Jo?

I know it happens to me every day.

5) Linda Siegel at Wimbledon in 1979

You don't know Linda Siegel.  Her playing career was not much to speak of.  She was an American on tour in the late 70's and early 80's.

But she showed up on the radar just this once, at Wimbledon in 1979, in a match against Billie Jean King, no less.  Pioneer of equal treatment in sports for women.

And of course, what else would happen to Siegel in this already headline grabbing outfit, but she, um, slipped.  And I don't meet her feet.

4) Anna Kournikova...On an Off Day

You know Anna Kournikova.  One of tennis' all-time most popular sex symbols.  Her game was never much, but that wasn't what attracted all the attention.  She was one of the leaders of the movement to make women's tennis outfits into sexy high fashion.

So why, Anna, why would you decide to play a match in 1998 wearing this?  It's an ugly, conservative polo shirt.  Nothing more.

Maybe she was trying to be ironic?

3) Venus' Lace Dress and Nude Shorts at the 2010 French Open

Does this one really need much explanation?  I mean, just look at that picture.

Yes, she's actually wearing something under there.  They're just flesh colored, skintight compression shorts, of course.

Well, in her defense, she was in Paris at the time, the city of love.

2) Serena's Skintight Catsuit at the 2002 US Open

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Nothing else in the Williams sisters' long line of flamboyant wardrobe choices tops this one.

Serena debuted at the 2002 US Open in this piece, by Puma.  It absolutely hugged every single curve.

Serena ended up winning the title that year, defeating sister Venus in the final, but people were rooting for her that year just so they could see more of this.

The blonde hair just completes the ensemble.

1) Brandi Chastain's Striptease at The Women's World Cup

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What else could be here?

This moment instantly became one of the most iconic in sports history, when Brandi Chastain scored the winning goal for the United States in the 1999 Women's World Cup.

It did wonders for her career outside of soccer, and it established the sport as one to watch for years later.

If only it had been a leopard print bra...