My style on court helps me be a better player, says Bethanie Mattek-Sands

London, August 30 (ANI): Tennis world rebel Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who racks up column inches all over the world for her style both on and off the court, has opened up about her fashion sense.

Often referred to as the "Lady Gaga of the tennis world", the 27-year-old from Minnesota is every bit as feisty and unique as the outfits she wears when she plays.

Consistently pushing the boundaries of tennis fashion since turning professional in 1999, Mattek-Sands has garnered attention for her bright colours, black knee socks and matching black eye wear.

Most notably, she wowed both the tennis and fashion world when she made an attention-grabbing entrance at the Women's Tennis Association's pre-Wimbledon party in June 2011.

The startling dress, designed and made by Alex Noble included a neon green corset made of tennis balls and string, with matching shoulder pads. More tennis balls were then attached to some neon green chiffon to create a Mohican-style hat.

"The tennis ball dress was so much fun, to be able to see the whole process from beginning to end. From Alex sitting looking at a tennis ball and saying, "What am I supposed to do with this?". It's kind of like a princess slash warrior outfit," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

"Actually at the party I wore it to, Serena Williams came up to me and said, "I wish I was as brave as you," and I'm like "You wore boots to the Open a few years ago, you're more out there than I am!"" she said.

She was then asked the driving force behind her wacky fashion sense.

"I get bored easily, I like changing things up for both myself and others," she said.

"I like to surprise people. I mean my hair is blue right now! It changes as well.

"I feel like my style on court helps me be a better player, because it's me, it's who I am.

"It's strange because I was really shy and quiet when I was a kid and my fashion sense was not good. I'd wear jeans and hiking boots and flannel shirts.

"I came out of my shell when I was about 16 and discovered shopping. And of course with travelling a lot while playing, I am exposed to so many different styles in Tokyo or Paris or London and New York," she said.

Though more and more tennis players are branching out from the normal white attire on court, with Venus and Serena designing their own colorful kits, Bethanie's style is particularly eye-catching.

So much so that she often has to go into the referee's office to get the OK for her outfit.

At the 2005 U.S. Open she was fined for wearing a cowboy hat which was deemed 'not appropriate tennis attire'. Yet she was allowed to play another game in a fedora.

"I won in that hat," she said.

"I feel like my style on court helps me be a better player, because it's me, it's who I am.

"I often get questioned about why I do it and my only answer is, that is who I am off the court, so why should that have to change once I step on the court. People might compare me to Lady Gaga, and I have a lot of respect for her. But I'm Bethanie. I have my own individual style and personality," she added. (ANI)