Tennis News

The weeks following a Grand Slam tend to be calm in terms of tennis fashion, but in the past four weeks we’ve had new designs hitting the courts, plus some outfits introduced in January rose to their full potential in the less busy month of February. Let’s give the word to Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see the tennis clothes that stood out at this month’s tournaments.

Launched at the Australian Open, Nike’s striped separates were then in the shadow of Serena Williams’ crop top and Maria Sharapova’s sporty elegance, but the Nike Spring Premier Slam Tank and Nike Spring Premier Victory Skirt got the deserved exposure in February.

On her way to the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy triumph, Roberta Vinci sported the light crimson version of the lightweight tank with rounded side vents for extra comfort, while Sara Errani wore the same outfit en route to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.

Elina Svitolina and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova rocked the same style, but they paired the white pleated skirt with the obsidian navy version of the breathable tank and highlighted the look with a chic retro red headband.

The Fila Spring Platinum Dress with a striking crisscross design detail of a tennis ball in motion was supposed to be Jelena Jankovic’s choice for the Australian Open, but the Serb made a last-minute switch, opted for a solid yellow piece in Melbourne and saved the launch of this memorable print for February. The sleeveless V-neck brings an extra stylish touch to the flattering fit. The Serb complemented the look with super trendy boxer braids and coordinating manicure. We expected nothing less from JJ!

Venus Williams is successful in everything she gets her hands on. The tennis legend not only won the Taiwan Open for her 49th career title, but she did it in her brand new EleVen Camilla Rose collection. After finding inspiration in brushstrokes for the Australian Open, in February the American introduced a blue botanical burst and lifted the floral Kaohsiung trophy in the EleVen Camilla Print Inspire Cap Sleeve paired with the EleVen Camilla Inspire Skirt, both featuring contrast crisscross stripes.

The collection celebrates the abundance of spring in perfect bloom, using washed layers of aqua, blue atoll and white grounded by limoges, a stunning shade of navy, and offering a harmonious group of solid color options to be matched with printed items.

The story of this black and floral Lotto Ursula line, as seen here on Jana Cepelova and Carla Suárez Navarro, is an intriguing one. The reason you cannot find these clothes on your go-to tennis shopping sites is that it is fitness and training apparel meant to be worn during practice and interviews. But, according to Lotto, the WTA players fell in love with the tropical dream pattern and since the shape, style and quality of materials allow it, a great deal of Lotto’s athletes chose to sport the clothes during matches. The Italian company is glad about this unexpected development.

 Now that you’ve seen them all, who is your pick for February’s WTA best dressed?

The opening service games of the season have been full of surprises, but with her booming delivery, World No.45 Timea Babos has been holding comfortably thus far in 2016.

“It’s my strongest shot,” she told WTA Insider before her first round match at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme. “I like to play aggressive tennis, and it helps to be aggressive with a good serve.”

Babos has hit a tour-leading 76 aces through 12 matches, a stat that has helped her halve her ranking in a matter of weeks – shattering a former career-high of No.59 – and earn big wins over the likes of Sara Errani and Eugenie Bouchard.

“So far, it’s all working really well because I’m improving and enjoying my tennis a lot. I’m so motivated, and it’s all just getting better and better.”

The former junior prodigy has always excelled in doubles, winning three girl’s doubles majors with Sloane Stephens and finishing one match shy of Wimbledon glory in 2014 with Kristina Mladenovic. A strong season with the Frenchwoman – one that included a rare win over Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza – booked the heavy-hitting Hungarian her debut appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global last fall.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable; all of the luxuries and spectacle there are definitely worth working towards. I was really excited, proud and honored to be there, and I think it was a good experience.

“I’m still learning a lot, day by day at my age. I’m only 22, so it’s been a good process and I’m ‘processing’ in every way. It can be motivating – although I think I’m already pretty motivated,” she added with a laugh. “But it can just motivate me that much more, that it’s really worth the work every day knowing that, if you work hard, you can reach the highest levels.”

Babos’ brush with the big stage in Singapore left her with renewed determination to restore the balance between her disparate singles and doubles rankings, opting to further extend her season by playing pair of WTA 125K Series Tournaments in Asia – winning one in Taipei.

“Last year we had big goals in doubles. Obviously, I also had goals with singles, but Singapore was one of the main focuses. During the year, I couldn’t play all the singles tournaments I would have wanted because of doubles, and it wasn’t easy to make a good schedule with my singles ranking and with my doubles ranking combined.

“After Singapore, I thought it would be good to finish the year strong and try to make it easier to schedule tournaments from the beginning of the year. Thankfully everything went well, and it’s true: it’s a lot easier to make a schedule when you have a better ranking in both!”

She took that momentum into a productive (albeit unusually truncated) off-season with longtime coach Thomas Drouet – who led Marion Bartoli through a victorious Wimbledon fortnight in 2013 – and rang in the New Year with a run to the semifinals of the Shenzhen Open.

“We had our two-year ‘anniversary’ – if you could call it that – on the 19th of February, and it’s going really, really well. I enjoy working with him and I’ve learned a lot; he’s worked with top players before and has had many good results. He’s helped me a lot to improve every day, and we enjoy our job together.

“We like to step on court every day, even if it’s seven in the morning or 10 at night. Whenever we’re on court, we just try our best to improve.”

The improvements have been particularly evident on serve, which has evolved from a strength to a true weapon, the cornerstone of an all-out offensive strategy.

“We changed my technique a little bit, and it’s working out well. I’m more consistent with my first serve percentage, and more accurate with my spots. This is my strength, and my most confident shot. If I really trust in it, I can build my game around it, so I think it can give me a good base.”

Holding serve nearly 80% of the time, Babos draws inspiration from World No.1 Serena Williams as she grows more adept at using the shot to stand up to high-pressure situations – saving 65% of all break points faced this season.

“If you look at Serena, she might not always at her best from the baseline, but her serve is so unbelievable that it can cause trouble for everyone, and it also takes her out trouble. It can be an important shot.”

Hers has been key to this vein of consistency, as the big server comes to Monterrey with back-to-back wins at all but one of her tournaments in 2016 – the Australian Open, where she reached the second round for the first time in her career.

“I wasn’t consistent enough, and this is what was missing from my game last year. Since October, I’ve moved up about 40 spots in the rankings, which is definitely a big improvement. I’ve had consistent results so far this year – nothing huge, but still more consistent as I continue to work a lot on both the physical and mental aspects of my game.”

This week in Monterrey represents a return to where it all began for Babos, who burst through a window of opportunity to capture her first title in back in 2012, upsetting former No.1 Ana Ivanovic en route to the quarterfinals 12 months later as the defending champion.

“I was last in because Serena pulled out at the last minute. The day before I didn’t even know I’d be competing, and then all of the sudden I was in the main draw, going on to win the singles. The year after I won again, in doubles.

“Every year I have good fun here, and I have good memories. I just like the place; there is a little bit of altitude, which I really, really like. I also love the food, especially guacamole! This is one thing that makes me happy every day that I can have it.

“It all comes together, and so I’m really happy to come back and play here because of the good memories I have.”

Memories of her time atop the junior rankings – where she peaked at No.2 back in 2010 – also propel her forward as she and her former rivals continue to make strides on the WTA circuit.

“Our age group is actually one of the strongest of the past couple of years. We have so many good players born in ’93 and ’94. I won Grand Slams with Sloane, and played a lot with Kiki. I also played so many matches against Genie and the Pliskova sisters.

“I think it’s very good to always have these girls around. It gives a little bit of motivation to see that, if one of us can do well, then why not the other?”

Success is still very much an abstract concept for Babos, even as she finds herself quickly catching up to the rest of her cohort. But a positive mindset might be all she needs to start serving notice on the game’s biggest stages.

“My goal is to stay humble, to work hard and try my best every time I step on court, and to have fun. I really believe that if all that happens, I can have my good results and everything will happen how it should.

“I’m going to try the best I can and then we’ll see what happens.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – The skies were blue, humidity nearly non-existent, and there was even a rainbow on Sunday afternoon as newly-crowned US Open champion and soon-to-be World No.1 Angelique Kerber returned to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the traditional Champion’s Photo Shoot.

Kerber was exhausted but beaming, walking the grounds with the air of a woman who believes in her bones that she is not only playing the best tennis of her career, but that there’s an even better version of herself and her game past the horizon.

WTA Insider caught up with Kerber to discuss what lies ahead.

WTA Insider: It’s been less than 24 hours since you got your hands on the US Open trophy. You must be tired.
Kerber: I am a little bit tired but also exhausted, excited, everything. After last night, it’s just the best feeling right now. To go home with my Grand Slam title again, my second one in one year, and of course with No.1, it means a lot to me. I’ll just try right now to enjoy every moment and everything that I did in the last few weeks.

WTA Insider: Three Grand Slam finals, two Slam titles, and World No.1. Which one of those accomplishments amazes you the most?
Kerber: Actually I think the Grand Slam titles first, because that’s always something I was always working so hard for, to win the major titles. To win two right now and to be in one final at Wimbledon, that means to me everything.

To then be No.1, what I was always dreaming when I was a kid, that shows me I played a really consistent year. To be No.1 you have to play great, not one day or one week, you have to play very well a few months, and this is also incredible to me, actually.

WTA Insider: I remember speaking with you on a couch when you qualified for your first WTA Finals back in Istanbul. At the time you didn’t seem convinced that you were one of the eight best players in the world. Take me back to that time, that breakthrough, and what it felt like then when you were trying to be comfortable with being a good player.
Kerber: When I reached my first Top 10 and also my first WTA Finals, being with the best players of the world at the end of the year, of course I was a little bit not sure what happened. I didn’t have the experience. It was everything new for me. I had to get used to everything.

Right now, years after, I learned a lot. I think I was growing as well. I was growing every year. I improved my tennis, I improved my personality and everything. This gives me so much confidence as well because I can look back and I can say I was learning. I was learning every year and this is what makes me proud. I took the chance to be now where I am. Finally I am still the same person because I am still Angie like I am a few years ago. This is what also for me really important, to stay how I am.

WTA Insider: When I see you now, you seem very calm and comfortable in your own skin.
Kerber: I’m feeling much for confident now in my skin and how I am. I think it’s because of my experience I know what’s happened, I know how to deal with pressure, how to deal with the things I have to do off court. That’s what gives me the confidence to, you know, dressing up, speaking, working, being how I am. Of course it takes a little while to get where I am, and it was really tough but really good.

WTA Insider: You mentioned the word pressure. What’s the most high-pressure match you feel you’ve played?
Kerber: To be honest, this match this year in Australia, the first round, that was a match where I was feeling a lot of pressure because last year I lost in the first round. I put so much pressure on myself. I didn’t want to lose in the first round.

This is maybe from this year one of the matches where I remember my pressure was really high. After the win when I was also match point down, I was feeling like ok, the pressure was gone. I won the first round and now I can go for it. So for this year I can say this was the match.

WTA Insider: When we talk about your career, there are three matches that always come up. That Australian Open match is one. The match against Victoria Azarenka here, that you lost. The match against Lucie Safarova in Singapore, that you lost. Talk about how important it is to learn from your losses.
Kerber: This is really important to learn from your losses but also as well, learning from your wins. After every match you have to sit down and think what I did good and what I did wrong. I learned a lot from really tough and close matches that I had in the past, especially the last years when I played so many great matches against great opponents.

This year, I had confidence because I knew that I could play good matches because they’re always tough but I have to go the last step and just go for it. That gives me a lot of confidence and maybe a little bit less pressure.

WTA Insider: You’re the World No.1 now. We’ve seen in the past that players who get to No.1 get comfortable with their game and don’t want to make changes. It’s too risky. How does your game get better from here and can you motivate to take those risks?
Kerber: No, I think my motivation is really high, especially right now after this title in New York. I will still try and improve my game because I know that I can still improve my serve and improving a few things on my game. It’s what I will try and do over the next few weeks and in my pre-season for next year. There are still a few things that I know I can do better. That gives me a little bit of confidence to know that I can still play better, maybe a little bit more aggressive, moving better, because there is still a little bit percent where I can go for it.

WTA Insider: So we haven’t seen Peak Angelique Kerber yet?
Kerber: We will see. Of course I’m playing the best tennis in my career, but I’m trying to be better and better. I’m trying to motivate myself to be better in my matches and in practice. I will try to still play my best tennis in the next months.

Kerber will next play at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open and China Open during the upcoming Asian Swing. Hear more from Kerber and coach Torben Beltz in the latest WTA Insider Podcast:

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.