First, let me tell you that the Barricade collection is inspired by all-white vintage lingerie, bringing elegance and femininity. Moreover, just like Adidas’ regular line, the new aSMC clothes play with textures and finishes to ensure a modern style that complies with strict clothing rules at Wimbledon. Finally, the clothes are engineered to support the highest level of performance, as Climacool material helps the body regulate temperature more efficiently.
World No.15 Garbine Muguruza is set to wear the Adidas Fall Stella McCartney Dress, a textured 3-in-1 piece, crafted through blending different knitting techniques. For added comfort and ventilation, the dress features a quarter-zip with contrast pull tab and keyhole cutout at back.
The seamless Adidas Stella Barricade BOOST 2017 shoes offer step-in comfort, while the 3D Torsion system provides support and stability during aggressive movements.
These socks with a single trim of red match the dress’ subtle red zipper. That much color is allowed on the iconic courts of SW19.
Even though Adidas’ press release mentions only Caroline Wozniacki, their promo pics show Andrea Petkovic wearing separates from the collection: the Adidas Fall Stella McCartney Tank, including an open mesh detail and a sculptured fit around the body, and the Adidas Fall Stella McCartney Skirt, featuring an all-knitted premium finish.
The Climacool tank is made 80% of polyester and 20% elastane tricot.
The skirt is available in two lengths and it can also be paired with this Adidas Fall Stella McCartney Top.
Adidas has once again created a wonderful combination of different textures, proving that Wimbledon offers plenty of room for creativity and innovative tennis fashion. Don’t you agree?
Sunday at the French Open waved goodbye to four Grand Slam champions, leaving the women’s singles draw without players who have won a major title and implying that the 2017 Roland Garros winner will win a maiden Grand Slam title.
Most importantly, defending champion Garbine Muguruza was eliminated by France’s Kristina Mladenovic 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the fourth round. Court Suzanne Lenglen was full of people, but barely anyone was on Muguruza’s side and after a very emotional loss the Spaniard even broke down in tears at the post-match press conference when journalists asked her about Mladenovic celebrating her errors by exclaiming “forza”.
The 2009 French Open and 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova fell to Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 4-6 6-2, who hadn’t reached the second week in Paris since 2010, when she was just 19 years old. The 2011 US Open winner Samantha Stosur crashed out to Jelena Ostapenko 2-6 6-2 6-4, hampered by a random hand injury. Lastly, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams lost to Timea Bacsinszky in the fourth round, just as last year!
WTA fashion is at its peak during Grand Slams and now it’s time to have a thorough look at all the styles that hit the clay courts in Paris. Last year at the French Open will always be remembered by the surge of zebras, while this season the situation is much more balanced. I’m making the most comprehensive overview you can find, ranging from sports apparel leaders such as Nike and Adidas to those that have just started building their reputation in the world of tennis fashion, like the budding Bidi Badu. Enjoy the latest women’s tennis styles and tell me your favorites in the comments below!
World number one Angelique Kerber had a claycourt season to forget, wrapping it up with a first-round loss at Roland Garros, but luckily other players are also sporting her stunning Adidas outfit, so it is getting the exposure it deserves. The German’s Adidas Roland Garros Tank and Adidas Roland Garros Skirt are a perfect blend of classic sportiness and trendy features, like thick, multi-color elastic tank straps and asymmetrical bi-tonal pleats in a contrast color. Kerber was equipped with Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2 shoes, featuring added protection in high wear areas, but this time nothing could stop her feet from walking through the exit door.
France’s Kristina Mladenovic showcases the Adidas Roland Garros Court Dress, another beauty from the new collection accentuated by bold emblems. Of course, Adidas also created matching wristbands, tiebands and a superlight hat.
Garbine Muguruza will impress us if she defends her title in Paris, but the Spaniard has already wowed us with her Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Dress 2, whose body-hugging top is nicely balanced by the flair of feminine pleated skirt. Garbi’s red Stella Barricade 2017 shoes give just the right pop of color to the black-and-white look that I presented in more detail in my Stella McCartney Roland Garros fashion preview.
Caroline Wozniacki‘s Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Sleeveless Polo nurtures a refreshed traditional look with its updated pique fabric, generous front slits and orange accents at zipper. The white colorblock at the hem of the lightweight knit Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Pleated Skirt nicely balances the all-red outfit. The Dane’s Adidas Stella Barricade BOOST 2017 shoes in white/black/grey with red laces, which I presented in my Roland Garros fashion preview, perfectly match the clothes and pride themselves on the most responsive cushioning to date.
Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova, Madison Keys, and many others wear Nike’s dirt-inspired new kit consisting of the paramount blue Nike Summer Slam Premier Tank, featuring a mock neck, wide armholes and circular knit fabric for extra breathability, and the Nike Summer Power Spin Premier Skirt, recognizable for its white paint-splashes at sides. Footwear that supports Nike’s stars on the clay of Paris is the Nike Air Zoom Ultra React, built with the company’s Flywire cable technology that provides a personalized fit and keeps feet locked.
The separates also exist in black and we could see that combo on Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. The black option matches the black and ghost green Ultra React shoes even better.
There are no surprises from Venus Williams, as the American’s EleVen Diamond Clarity Dress is yet another printed design and the cut is the same as her 2016 Casablanca Love Letter Dress.
World No.3 Karolina Pliskova is UV protected in the striped Fila Spring Heritage II Sleeveless Polo that goes with the Fila Spring Heritage II Skirt, whose green elastic waistband matches the same colorblock at the top’s bust.
As I told you in the announcement of Fila’s French Open fashions, the company prepared two lines for the claycourt Grand Slam and besides the already-discussed Heritage line, we also have the Tropical Slice collection, as seen here on Yaroslava Shvedova and Timea Babos. Unlike Heritage clothes which cater to tradition, the Tropical Slice plays with plenty of vibrant colors and edgy design details, such as the petals of the Fila Tropical Car Wash Skirt.
Lacoste‘s Dominika Cibulkova and Alize Cornet both decided to wear the Spring Player Dress, even though before the tournament Cornet said that her clothes of choice would be the Lacoste Spring Top and Lacoste Spring Pleated Skirt. Also, both the Slovak and the Frenchwoman paired their orange-accented dress with the speed-oriented Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour shoes.
Soon-to-be-married Agnieszka Radwanska has finally brought back the edge with her Lotto Camoflower Dress. Some people are not fans of this camouflage print and layered ruffles, but I love seeing bold designs at Grand Slams and I’m glad that Aga is taking fashion risks again!
Alize Lim now endorses Diadora, but I have to say I preferred her with Le Coq Sportif, when she bravely stood out with their extraordinary jumpsuits.
Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who upset the top-seeded Kerber in the first round, showcased the Sergio Tacchini Taped Tank Top, inspired by the colorful therapeutic tape (!) used by athletes, and its coordinating skirt.
How lovely is Sorana Cirstea‘sfluffy New Balance Spring Heath Skirt! Extra femininity and breathability are provided by the perforated elastic waistband and pleated stretch tulle mesh.
Johanna Konte wore the Asics Spring Club Dress in diva pink with indigo blue side panels, a no-frills design with mesh opening at chest and keyhole at back.
Anastasija Sevastova‘s good results are increasing the visibility of Yonex, while this fortnight the Latvian is rocking the 2017 Paris Tank and the 2017 Paris Skirt. The mesh trim around the hem of Sevastova’s skirt reminds me of Agnieszka Radwanska’s 2015 Lotto fashion, which was, among other things, characterized by laser-cut hems.
If you’ve never heard of Bidi Badu, you will definitely remember that name now, as that is the company behind this beautiful Mona Barthel‘s Ambar Tech Dress by Kilian Kerner. I really like the black wrap design and how the dress matches pure pink and sweet orange colors. The white all-around pleated skirt is apparently a must-have this season, while coverage is provided by long orange shorts.
In case you didn’t know, world No.18 and last year’s semifinalist Kiki Bertens is wearing Mizuno tennis clothing, while at Roland Garros she wore simple red separates, just as during her run to the Nürnberg title recently.
Ellesse and Monica Puig are a perfect match and even though we’ve seen the Olympic gold medalist in similar designs a thousand times, I wouldn’t change anything about her look.
Bethanie Mattek Sands attracted attention with her cherry shirt. Don’t be surprised if the American goes for pizzas soon, as she asked her sponsor Tennis Warehouse to make a pizza-printed outfit for her!
Svetlana Kuznetsova‘s Qiaodan outfit is practically the same as the one the Russian wore at the 2017 Australian Open.
I’ve also created a VIDEO OVERVIEW 😉
Now that I’ve given you a complete presentation of WTA fashion at the 2017 French Open, you can give me an informed input about your favorite styles. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! My No.1 favorite is the green and white Adidas line, because it has just the right amount of sporty features, feminine features and trendy accents, while of course offering top performance. Overall, there are no fashion disasters at this year’s Roland Garros. I’d say we’re enjoying a rich and beautiful fortnight in Paris when it comes to tennis fashion.
Friday at the 2017 French Open was a peaceful day for seeded players, including Venus Williams, who reached the fourth round with her pregnant sister Serena supporting her from the stands. Defending champion Garbine Muguruza, Kristina Mladenovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Sam Stosur and Timea Bacsinszky all won their third-round matches. Only Caroline Wozniacki hasn’t made it to the fourth round yet, as the Dane’s encounter with Catherine Bellis, which will likely go into the third set, has been suspended due to rain and darkness. Our photographer Jimmie48 has everything covered in photos, including some very nice ambiance pics!
On Day 4 of Roland Garros 2017, defending champion Garbine Muguruza survived a scare but advanced to the third round, while Petra Kvitova‘s return to action came to an end in her second match at the tournament.
The fourth-seeded Muguruza was a set and a break down before beating world No.53 Anett Kontaveit 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2, the Estonian who had earned her first Top 10 win by beating the Spaniard during this claycourt season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. This time, Muguruza managed to fight back, winning five of the last six games in the second set and then the last four games in the third set to continue her title defense.
The 15th-seeded Kvitova had remarkably opened her comeback with a first-round win at the French Open, but fell at the hands of Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round, albeit after two close tiebreaks, 7-6(5) 7-6(5).
Wearing a recognizable cherry-printed top, qualifier Mattek-Sands recorded her best Grand Slam result in almost two years. As even the score suggests, it was a close fight and it’s evident that Kvitova just needs to pile up more matches to get back in full form following a life-threatening knife attack. The Czech is now looking forward to the grasscourt season and Wimbledon where she’s a two-time champion.
Let’s also note that young American Catherine Bellis ousted freshly-crowned Nürnberg champion and last year’s French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens, 6-3 7-6(5). In other news, there are no surprises, as seeds Venus Williams, Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Wozniacki all won their second-round matches in straight sets.
Stay tuned, as tonight I’ll post all my photographer’s WTA photos from Wednesday at the French Open.
Day 2 of main-draw play at the 2017 French Open was marked by the start of Garbine Muguruza‘s title defense and the Spaniard was successful in eliminated the 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone 6-2 6-4. Second seed Karolina Pliskova powered through her opener, while seed No.11 Caroline Wozniacki and seed No.13 Kristina Mladenovic worked hard to progress into the second round. Moreover, Kiki Bertens, who has just won her second consecutive title at the Nürnberger Versicherungscup, continued her winning ways at Roland Garros, beating Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round. All that and more our photographer Jimmie48 covered in photos on Monday.
ROME, ITALY - MAY 19 : Garbine Muguruza at the 2017 Internazionali BNL d'Italia WTA Premier 5 tennis tournament
Simona Halep continued her impressive claycourt campaign at the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Friday by reaching the semifinal stage of the tournament with a straight-set win over fast-rising youngster Anett Kontaveit.
Coming to Rome straight from her title win in Madrid and a semifinal appearance in Stuttgart, Halep is gearing up as a serious favorite for the 2017 French Open that starts in a little more than a week.
Halep is joined in the semifinals by Kiki Bertens, who beat Daria Gavrilova, as well as the reigning Istanbul champion Elina Svitolina, another player in great clay form, who upset the No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova in dramatic fashion.
The semifinals are completed by Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard has finally found some proper form after months of struggling, beating Venus Williams in three sets in the quarterfinals.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 INTERNAZIONALI BNL D’ITALIA:
ROME, ITALY - MAY 18 : Ambiance at the 2017 Internazionali BNL d'Italia WTA Premier 5 tennis tournament
The quarterfinals at the 2017Internazionali BNL d’Italia are set with the final eight players emerging from what has been a week full of surprises and big-name losses.
Among the biggest surprises in the round of the last eight is Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit. Playing a very strong spring season, Kontaveit is having another great run in Rome, getting into the quarterfinals by steamrolling Mirjana Lucic-Baroni who made the third round when Maria Sharapova retired on Tuesday night.
Another young player in the quarters is Australia’s Daria Gavrilova. Always doing well in Rome, Gavrilova’s story this week is extra unique as she had to start in the tournament’s qualifying stage despite having a high enough ranking to enter the main draw. The reason is that Gavrilova simply forgot to sign in before the deadline! The extra match play does not seem to hurt Gavrilova’s chances at all though, as she moved past Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova on Thursday.
Mona Barthel and Elina Svitolina played the last single’s match on Rome’s scenic Pietrangeli court and it turned out to be a frustrating affair for Barthel, since the Prague champion got double-bageled by Svitolina after winning the first set, a rather unusual scoreline.
In the day’s last match, Karolina Pliskova moved past Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky without dropping a set. The quarterfinals are up on Friday, so check back to Women’s Tennis Blog for more from Rome.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 INTERNAZIONALI BNL D’ITALIA:
MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 7 : Maria Sharapova at the 2017 Mutua Madrid Open WTA Premier Mandatory tennis tournament
Tennis fans can look forward to a blockbuster match in Madrid on Monday as Maria Sharapova has cleared her first round at the 2017 Mutua Madrid Open, setting up a much-discussed encounter with Eugenie Bouchard.
Sharapova’s way into the second round wasn’t particularly smooth though, as the Russian faced a very steady Mirjana Lucic-Baroni inside the Caja Magica. The Croatian took the first set off Sharapova who bounced back in the second set and went on to deliver a bagel to close out the match.
The Russian five-time Grand Slam winner will now face Eugenie Bouchard on Monday night. Once a fan of Sharapova, Bouchard has become one of Sharapova’s most outspoken critics in recent months, openly voicing her disappointment about Sharapova not having been banned from tennis indefinitely.
Sunday in Madrid was not short of other spectacular matches either as Caroline Wozniacki played a 3 hour 27 minute marathon to finally clear Monica Niculescu, while local hero Garbine Muguruza fell to Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets.
Keep checking back for more from the 2017 Mutua Madrid Open on Women’s Tennis Blog all week long.
STUTTGART, GERMANY - APRIL 21 : Team Germany & Team Ukraine at the 2017 Germany - Ukraine Fed Cup Tie Draw Ceremony
Stuttgart is gearing up for a double-header weekend of tennis as the Porsche Arena will host both the qualifying for the 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Fed Cup playoff tie between Germany and Ukraine.
On Friday, the Fed Cup draw was made in Stuttgart’s city hall, while the courts inside the Porsche Arena started getting busy with practice sessions.
