Now that we’re in the fourth day of the 2019 French Open, we’ve already seen all WTA outfits in action, so it’s time for my Grand Slam fashion overview. After oceans, tattoos and ’90s that inspired the Australian Open fashion, the courts in Paris are dominated by Nike’s floral pattern and bee print, Lotto’s zebra style and other black-and-whites, Serena Williams’ cape-jacket, Adidas’ mesh material, as well as a number of designs that bring a fresh vibe to a more conservative tennis design.
After last year’s catsuit, Serena Williams‘ Roland Garros 2019 will be remembered by her zip-up jacket that looks like a regal cape. The print of the cape-jacket includes words “mother”, “champion”, “queen”, and “goddess” written in French. The person behind the American’s look is again Virgil Abloh, just like at the 2018 US Open with the famous tutu dresses.
Besides the boundary-pushing jacket, Serena wore a matching crop top and a skirt with asymmetrical hemline. We can notice fishnet at her belly, although she doesn’t seem to be wearing fishnet tights any more.
Serena’s footwear choice is the Nike Flare 2 model, customized with the tennis legend’s “SW” logo.
NikeCourt‘s range for this Roland Garros is all about bees, flowers and skeletons. Instead of pairing her Nike Summer Dry Top, better described as beehive faux polo, with the Floral Flex Skirt, defending champion Simona Halep opted for the plain black Nike Summer Essential Skirt, which stands out with its open hole mesh skirt fabric and floral print on the built-in ball shortie. The Romanian’s shoes are the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Clay in purple.
Victoria Azarenka combined bees and flowers, as Nike originally envisaged.
While we’re waiting for Naomi Osaka to get her own Nike line, the world No.1 keeps choosing overly simple outfits for a player of her caliber. In Paris, the Japanese is sporting a basic pleated Nike Summer Victory Skirt in oxygen purple and a matching tank top.
What gave Osaka’s plain separates some substance were the printed Nike Air Zoom Zero Clay Shoes and the Nike Summer Dry Long-Sleeve Top, a cropped design featuring a toile-inspired print, depicting pastoral scenes of skeletons amid tennis-specific details.
Eugenie Bouchard was among players in the Nike Summer Flower Dress, inspired by traditional French tapestries. Some features of this sleeveless design include lightweight fabric, ribbing on the collar and armholes, and side slits for unrestricted movement.
Garbine Muguruza is one of the best dressed players at the tournament with her Adidas Escouade Dress. This is the most innovative design overall (you can have a closer look at the Escouade collection here). Yes, pleated skirts are very common in WTA fashion, but this dress stands out with its all-over mesh, contrast white drawcord waist and unique blue print along the pleated hem.
The dress’ shock cyan accents are matched with the Spaniard’s Adidas SoleCourt Boost Clay Shoe.
I really like how this Adidas Summer Escouade Skirt moves, it’s so photogenic, isn’t it? Caroline Wozniacki combined it with the mesh Adidas Summer Escouade Sleeveless Top, which she tied in the back.
Venus Williams’ Love Leopard collection mixes a dove grey animal print and limelight green highlights. The range offers several unconventional bustier-inspired athletic dresses, but the American opted for a more scaled-down look: the Love Leopard Tank Top and Flutter Skirt.
Karolina Pliskova rocked Fila‘s timeless Heritage line, tennis’ most successful fresh take on traditional sports fashion. The Italian brand’s archival hues of red, navy and white are now updated with a bold electric blue.
From a variety of tanks, skorts and dresses, the Czech former world No.1 picked the Fila Summer Heritage Cami, a flattering crossback design with V-neck, bust ruching, and stripes at sides, and the blue Fila Summer Heritage Pleated Back Skirt, which also exists in white, navy and red.
The collection’s statement piece is the Fila Summer Heritage Jacket that has front pockets, ribbed collar, bottom hem and cuffs with color contrast stripes.
Besides the Heritage collection, Fila also created the second edition of the P.L. Rolando collection promoted by Australia’s Ashleigh Barty. The graphic pieces in all-over graphic print are based on the archival sketches of Fila’s original creative director, Pierluigi Rolando.
Heather Watson‘s New Balance Summer Tournament Dress is one of my all-time favorite tennis dresses. Its sleek cut and sophisticated details such as refined stripes of gold and unique racerback design round out a sporty design that is elegant, youthful and fashion-forward at the same time. It goes without saying that the dress is fully functional as well — its breathable stretch knit fabric and NB Dry Tech work to keep players dry and comfortable.
The shoe accompanying Watson’s blue dress is this New Balance WC 996v3 Clay model offering a brand new knit upper while providing durability and extra stability for aggressive lateral movements.
Ever since she’s become a Lacoste representative at the start of this season, Anett Kontaveit has been wearing pretty much the same apparel, but it doesn’t matter when the design is this good. At Roland Garros, the Estonian world No.17 sported wonderful coral Lacoste Spring Top, featuring contrast back inset, and a coordinating skirt with a striped single center pleat. The color looks lovely against the red clay and it’s perfect for a wide variety of non-professional tennis players.
With this zebra print, Lotto took us back to Roland Garros 2016 when Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto created a Y-3 line inspired by dazzle camouflage. Lotto’s leading representative Elise Mertens opted for the Zebre Top, featuring contrast mesh fabric at upper chest and sleeves, and the Zebre Skirt, featuring bold contrast ruffles at back.
Everyone noticed a new logo on Timea Bacsinszky‘s gear, the Gallic rooster, as the Swiss left Asics for French activewear producer Le Coq Sportif.
Nineteen-year-old Dayana Yastremska already has three WTA titles to her name, putting the 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig on the passenger seat as Yonex’ second representative. The 32rd-ranked Ukrainian came to Paris fresh off winning the Internationaux de Strasbourg and her clay-colored Yonex outfit looked stunning on the dirt of Paris, equipping the tennis player with UV protection, antistatic technology, sweat absorbent fabric, Polygiene Odour Control technology, and VERYCOOL techonology.
Yastremska’s fitted Yonex RG Tank features a keyhole cutout on the back and a yellow lining under the chest, while the Yonex RG Skirt includes a built-in shortie and an outer mesh material for fluidity.
Yastremska’s Power Cushion Fusion Rev 3 tennis shoes are designed for the perfect level of fit and comfort.
Ellesse‘s Johanna Konta wore a sleeveless black polo dress with yellow and white chevron pattern at abdomen.
Vitalia Diatchenko was in the spotlight on Day 2, giving Serena Williams a hard time at the start of their first-round match, so the 83rd-ranked Russian gave a lot of exposure to her Hydrogen Tech Victory Dress. It’s a simple white racerback design with dominant skull logo at chest. I was put off when I saw a “Prop 65 Warning”, further described as “Cancer and Reproductive Harm”, in the description of this dress at Tennis Warehouse USA.
Barbora Strycova wore a light blue Sergio Tacchini Spring Grace Dress. It features waist-defining colourblocking design at sides and color contrast trim highlights at the scoop neck and armholes.
Julia Goerges wore the Asics Gel-Cool Tank Top and its matching skort, completing the outfit with the Asics Solution Speed FF Clay Shoes, advertized as being lighter than ever, more cushioned and more durable.
Last but not least, let’s mention Maria Sharapova‘s Nike Summer Maria Dress. The Russian is still rehabilitating her shoulder, so we’re not seeing her in Paris, but Nike created for her this special asymmetrical item with oversized blossoms, gathered waist, mesh back with keyhole cutout and hidden zipper for easy on and off.
I’ve given you a very detailed recap of WTA fashion at Roland Garros 2019, so tell me your favorites in the comments below. My No.1 is New Balance’s blue dress together with the 996v3 shoes. I like the shock effect of Serena’s cape-jacket and crop top, Adidas’ mesh dress with square colorblocks at the skirt’s hem looks stunning on Muguruza, the mango color of Kontaveit’s simple Lacoste separates looks perfect against the clay, and Nike’s bees & flowers style looks decent on all players wearing it.
I think the Adidas outfits are by far the best. Next choice is the Lacoste or Serena’s outfit, though I don’t think many other players could get away with it. Fila, New Blaance and Asics all ok, don’t much like the Lotto or Ellesse or Coq Sportif (that shade of grey suits NO-ONE!) and what was NIke thinking? Just awful.
The Nike outfit Svitolina wears is not flattering. Probably just me.
Sorry Nike, but I would rank this years Roland Garros range as an Epic Fail! Regardless of the hidious cuts of midrifts, odd necklines and impracticle skirts, Many of the women just look ridiculous besides uncomfortable. And lets not talk about the ‘bees’? that look like flies.
‘ no flies on me’ comes to mind, which even though clay courts are meant to be slower, the new Phillip Chatrier court and others have proven to be undoubtedly quicker than ever. Hopefully Roland Garros won’t take offence.
Maybe Nike need to rethink what good design & style is about and stop with the shock value designs.
Tennis used to be a respectable game, lets not lose that over poor fashion sense.
Above anything in sports fashion should be practical and figure flattering,, enhancing assets, NOT exagerate things we’d prefer not to see.
Addidas, Lacoste have had it all over Nike for looking good on the court for a couple of years now.
Time to go back to the drawing board Nike.