Sport & fashion at their best: Tennis dresses at the US Open

The US Open is in its second week, so it’s time for me to do my traditional Grand Slam fashion overview. Once again, I’ve created a comprehensive presentation of the WTA styles ruling the courts at Flushing Meadows this year. There’s such a variety of outfits that one can’t draw a conclusion what’s fashionable in today’s women’s tennis. There is no single design feature that is present in most looks, rather, we have everything, from classic sporty designs to tutus. However, we can say that keyhole cutouts, pleats and colorblocks are here to stay.

Fashion designer Virgil Abloh cooperated with Nike to create this ballerina-inspired tennis dress for Serena Williams. Rich tulle skirt, single long sleeve and nude colorblock at chest to mimic an off-shoulder look are a combination we have never before seen in WTA fashion.

This unconventional tennis dress will definitely remain one of the most memorable Grand Slam outfits ever.

Matching the tutu is this PE version of the NikeCourt Flare shoe. BTW, have you seen on Serena’s Instagram that her baby Olympia has the Nike x Off-White Blazer Mid model? So cute!

During her Under Armour days, Sloane Stephens always rocked beautifully-colored solid dresses and this NikeCourt Fall Slam Dress reminds me of those styles, as this vibrant orange design with large side slit that exposes matching printed shorts perfectly suits the reigning champion.

Wide narrow cutout is a nice touch that makes the back more ventilated.

World No.1 Simona Halep chose the guava ice version of the same dress.

TENNIS FASHION AT OTHER 2018 GRAND SLAMS:

• Wimbledon: Show-stopping white designs abundant in textures and details
• Roland Garros: Nike’s engineered blues, Serena’s bodysuit, Adidas’ flowy pleats
• Australian Open: New sponsorships, No.1 player in no-name clothes, the tale of the jumpsuit

Aryna Sabalenka continues her strong US hardcourt season in New York and has the looks to match the success — the Nike Fall Slam Seamless Tank and Nike Fall Victory Skirt. An all-around pleated skirt is a safe choice that never goes out of style. What I love the most about this outfit is the combination of vibrant orange and powdery pink, two colors I wouldn’t normally pair, but which turned out to look wonderful together, especially with the contrast of the skirt’s green exposed elastic waistband. Many players sport this look, but the in-form Belarusian is my favorite because she accessorizes with a headband, IMO an always-welcome retro touch.

Here’s Victoria Azarenka wearing the guava ice tank with the navy skirt, but I prefer Sabalenka’s choice of colors.

Vika’s shoes are adorable, as they celebrate her son Leo.

Maria Sharapova continues her perfect record in night sessions at the US Open in the black version of her Nike Fall Maria NY Dress. You can see the lighter version of the design in my article unveiling Masha’s look for the season’s final Grand Slam.

Flirty cutouts at back and sides make this dress stand out from the crowd.

Stella McCartney really believes in the power of laser perforations, mesh and colorblocks, having incorporated them in all her designs in recent years. The latest collection includes this Adidas Stella McCartney NYC Tank and Skirt, promoted by Caroline Wozniacki at the US Open. The tank features generous mesh at back and you can have a closer look at it in my preview of this look.

US Open nights have a special place in the hearts of tennis fans and it seems that Fila was inspired by night skies while creating the new Heritage collection, as their Karolina Pliskova wears a star print from head to toe.

The Print Racer Tank, Print Flirty Skirt and Axilus Energized shoes compose the Ace Queen’s look in New York. Let me add that the sparkle star print jersey fabric shimmers!

Even though Adidas’ promo images on Instagram made me think that Angelique Kerber would wear the Adidas Fall Barricade Dress unique for its diamond-patterned mesh, the German’s US Open outfit is actually the Fall Barricade Tank + Skirt combo that prides itself on being ultra sporty and soft to the touch.

My favorite element are thick back straps that create a triangle.

Garbine Muguruza paired the Adidas Fall Barricade Warp Tank and Adidas Fall Barricade Shorts. The tank is a seamless warp knit construction which adjust to body movements, while the engineered cutouts around the upper chest and back serve as stylish touches and ventilation channels. The woven shorts have a wide elastic waistband with contrasting red stripe for a comfortable fit. You can have a better look at this outfit in my preview post.

While this was Garbi’s main kit, we also saw her in the Warp Tank and the same skirt Kerber is wearing.

Svetlana Kuznetsova‘s blue (or is it green?) Qiaodan dress is beautifully simple — a crew-neck design without sleeves, nothing major going on.

Since Nicole Gibbs played qualifying, I’ve already covered her New Balance kit in detail, but I’ll repeat here that she’s wearing the striped New Balance Fall Tournament Seamless Tank and shorts with cute mesh layer.

Lotto’s Barre Flash collection got a lot of attention when Alize Cornet took off her shirt on the court, in order to reverse it, and received a code violation, which was later abolished. Agnieszka Radwanska didn’t promote her Lotto Barre Dress for long, failing to withstand the heat and exiting the tournament in the first round.

Venus Williams‘ EleVen Prima Donna collection is characterized by a purple-based graffiti-inspired print with pops of pink yarrow and lime popsicle. The American mixed and matched a number of pieces during her US Open campaign. Even in her first-round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova, V put two outfits on display.

During the all-Williams third-round match, Venus sported the EleVen Prima Portal Tank and Fly Skirt.

It’s a pity that Monica Puig‘s Ellesse dresses are not widely available, as the Puerto Rican always has cool outfits that suit her to perfection.

Slim fit, contrast piping and side slits, together with Gel-Cool technology on the back, make Julia Goerges‘ Asics Gel-Cool Dress an excellent choice for those looking for a subtly feminine design in a sporty package.

Just as Lacoste announced ahead of the US Open, Christina McHale introduced the Fall Cap-Sleeve Top, but for some reason she paired it with a simple white skirt and not with the pleated windowpane-patterned one she was supposed to wear.

On the other hand, it’s strange that Lacoste‘s Dominika Cibulkova is dressed like it’s Wimbledon.

Ekaterina Makarova is in Sergio Tacchini‘s Perspective collection.

Anastasija Sevastova promotes Yonex‘s orange outfit with sort of an ombre hexagon print.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova now has her own Sofibella line and this navy dress with box pleats at hem is one of those AP looks.

Mizuno‘s Aleksandra Krunic is wearing the Fall Amplify Tank in color georgia peach and the Fall Flex Skort. The tank design is inspired by “Kiriko” — an overlaying color graduation concept used in Japanese ceramics to express details and dynamic lines.

After seeing all the outfits in one place, what do you say, which one is your favorite? My No.1 are aSMC separates worn by Caroline Wozniacki & Kristina Mladenovic, followed by Aryna Sabalenka’s Nike ensemble.