Tennis News

Wimbledon 2016 is all about elegance, exposing the most sophisticated side of women’s tennis fashion. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog narrowed down the richness of this year’s whites to the Top 5 styles and now it’s your turn to tell us your thoughts — vote for your favorite outfit in the poll below the article!

When you have that champion’s mentality, you want to excel in everything and Serena Williams has done just that, coming to the tournament as world number one and reigning champion only to also take the unofficial top position when it comes to WTA fashion at the grasscourt Grand Slam.

The NikeCourt Premier Dress impresses with the graceful half turtleneck, a new silhouette in Williams’ attire, while the pleated skirt with two tiers in back brings a flash of flirty vibrancy to the all-white look. The racerback, featuring a bonded zipper, is a tried-and-true design that enables optimal range of motion.

Stella McCartney made sure that last year’s Wimbledon runner-up and newly-crowned French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza looked the part, indulging in laser-cut holes that have been the standout visual characteristic of her clothes in recent months. The Spaniard’s adidas Fall Stella McCartney Skirt is a feminine cut with high-performance Climacool technology, 3D fabric and ventilation channels that ensure ultimate comfort in intense matches and hot weather conditions. The adidas Stella McCartney Core Tank is equipped with Climalite moisture management, while added visual appeal and functionality are provided by the curved mesh panel at upper back.

Venus Williams decided to impress with a less-is-more approach, sporting a simple cap-sleeve EleVen dress from the Club collection. The clean design features discreet contrast binding at waistband, while when it comes to performance it boasts moisture-wicking properties, superior breathability, as well as protection from UVA and UVB rays.

Keeping her outfit subdued, the five-time Wimbledon champion caused a fashion earthquake with her hairstyle — a huge braided bun on top of her head, whose strawberry red highlights play with the tournament’s classic white tradition.

After the French Open zebra clothes that will remain one of the most eye-catching tennis collections ever, adidas stepped on the Wimbledon grass absolutely toned down, not only complying with the tournament’s strict clothing guidelines, but also not experimenting with cuts and silhouettes, opting for a timeless sporty design and clothes that captivate with their technological advancements.

The no-frills Climachill collection instantly seduces all those who want high-performance apparel in the traditional aesthetics package. The ensembles worn by Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep, as well as the dress worn by Ana Ivanovic, are all equipped with innovative fabrics and active cooling technology that lowers the body temperature and provides an instant chilling sensation on contact.

Heather Watson stole the show at the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party presented by Dubai Duty Free, wearing an olive green latex dress designed by Brett Mettler, and the Brit made sure to also look her best in action at the prestigious lawns. The New Balance Spring Tournament Tank features mesh trim at neckline that nicely matches the hem of the skirt from the same collection. Wearing the top tucked in, Watson exposed the skirt’s engineered elastic waistband with cutouts. The tank’s sleek spaghetti straps in the Y formation have been New Balance’s choice pretty much throughout the 2016 season.

Now it’s time for you to tell us who is your Wimbledon fashion favorite!

LONDON, Great Britain – Before the remaining eight battled it out this week at the All-England Club, the eleventh reunion of the WTA Alumnae & Friends Program was held at the San Lorenzo restaurant in SW19, drawing legends from around the world.

The reunion took place at San Lorenzo restaurant in SW19 with WTA Board Member Lisa Grattan serving as emcee. Notable former players in attendance included Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Betty Stove, Ilana Kloss, Frankie Durr, Mima Jausovec, Pam Shriver, Katrina Adams, Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, Rennae Stubbs and Mercedes Paz, who was celebrating her 50th birthday.

The highlight of the afternoon, which was overseen by Hall of Famer Peachy Kellmeyer and co-hosted by the Women’s Tennis Benefit Association, was the presentation of the Georgina Clark WTA Mother Award to the beloved Bulgarian former player and coach, Youlia Berberian-Maleeva.

Youlia coached three of her daughters into the Top 10 on the WTA Rankings: Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière (No.3), Katerina Maleeva (No.6) and Magdalena Maleeva (No.4). The Maleeva sisters made Grand Slam history in 1993 when all three were seeded at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Combined, the trio won 39 WTA singles titles throughout a playing career spanning more than two decades (1982-2005) and Youlia was right beside them the whole time, attending more than 1000 tournaments.

Youlia herself was a decorated tennis player, although her career was restricted mostly to Bulgaria and other Communist countries due to travel restrictions imposed on Communist Bloc citizens by the Soviets. However, Youlia still took home 31 national titles across singles, doubles, and mixed, including winning the Bulgarian National Title nine times (1962-1976). She also won the Lebanon Open in 1965 and the Yugoslav Open in 1973, as well as led her country to two Fed Cup semifinals as the Bulgarian National Women’s Coach, a position she held for 13 years (1982-1995).

In 2004, Youlia opened the Maleeva Tennis Club to the public in Sofia. Owned by the Maleeva family, it is the largest sports complex in Bulgaria and offers year-round tennis and squash with Youlia as head coach.

Away from the tennis courts, Youlia has remained politically active and has served as the president of the Bulgarian Women’s Association since 1995. She holds an ongoing role as board member for the American University in Bulgaria, and from 1997 to 2001 she was a member of the Bulgarian parliament representing the anti-Communist bloc.

Youlia shared the story of the family’s struggle against the Communist regime, travel restrictions in early days and eventual successes in a book titled, “I Want, I Believe, I Can.”

The Maleeva sisters were in attendance for Youlia’s presentation of the award, along with Youlia’s husband, Georgi Maleev, her brother Edward and his partner Lynda, and three grandchildren – Lora, Timo and ‘Little Youlia’.

The Georgina Clark Mother WTA Award is named in memory of the WTA’s former vice president for European Operations and Worldwide Tour Director, who passed away in 2010. Clark was also the first woman to umpire a Wimbledon final – Martina Navratilova vs. Chris Evert, in 1984.

The award given in her honor recognizes women who’ve raised their own children and also contributed in a significant way to the life of the extended ‘WTA Family’. Previous recipients Ann Haydon-Jones, women’s tennis pioneer Gladys Heldman, Original 9 member Judy Dalton, Francoise Durr and former Swedish No.1 Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer.

Here are a few more photos from the WTA Alumnae & Friends Reunion, courtesy of Art Seitz:

Courtney Nguyen, Point: The Serena Williams who walks out on Centre Court on Saturday for the Wimbledon final will be a different Serena from the one who strode out on Rod Laver Arena six months ago.

The Australian Open was Serena’s first tournament back since taking a tough loss to Roberta Vinci at the US Open, a loss that ended her high-profile quest for the Calendar Grand Slam. Serena took the rest of the season off and she returned in Melbourne appearing to be firing on all cylinders.

But the key word was “appeared.” It was impossible to shake the feeling when watching and talking to her throughout those two weeks that she was still fighting off the disappointment from New York. She faced an avalanche of questions about how she dealt with the loss, how much it hurt, is she ready now to win No.22. She answered. It wasn’t always convincing.

On court she was great. She advanced to the final without the loss of a set, beating two Top 5 players in Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska, crushing the Pole in the semifinalist 6-0, 6-4. Across the net in the final was No.6 Angelique Kerber, a woman who had only beaten her once and who was playing in her first Slam final. All signs pointed to a dominant Serena win.

As we know, that did not happen. Kerber shocked Serena and the world with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win to capture her first Slam title.

“I made a lot of errors,” Serena said, recalling the match. “She made little to no unforced errors. It was still a three set match. I felt like I could have played better.

“I felt like she played great. She came out swinging, ready to win. She was fearless. That’s something I learned. When I go into a final, I, too, need to be fearless like she was.”

So why should we expect a different result at Wimbledon? The answer is right there in the question: Wimbledon. The Serena-Kerber match-up is one thing on a neutral hard court — all seven of their previous matches have been on hard court — but on grass the advantage sways heavily to Serena. No surface rewards her for her weapons like grass.

“I was very intense the whole time,” Serena said after her 6-2, 6-0 win over Elena Vesnina in the semifinals. “I ran and I worked hard. I served well, I moved well. The scoreline just reflected me doing what I know I can do.”

A look at the numbers posted during the fortnight all point to a Serena who is outperforming her 2016 self, particularly on her vaunted serve. Heading into the final, she leads the tournament in aces with 61 so far. That’s an average of 10 aces per match, compared to her season average of approximately 7 per match. She is averaging 66% of her first serves in at Wimbledon (season average: 60%) , winning 81% of her first serve points (season average: 73%) and 51% of her second serve points (season average: 50%). All in all, she’s won 90% of her service games in six matches (season average: 80%).

Serena has also picked up her return game. She has won 51% of her return games (season average: 44.8%) and she is attacking her opponents’ second serve with ferocity, winning 65% of the points on her opponent’s second serve (season average: 58%).

But the serve is the key for Serena. If she can roll through her first few games with clean holds, her shoulders will relax and her game will flow. One of the biggest mistakes she made in Melbourne was giving away an early break to Kerber in the first set. That break turned the match on its head and Serena got tighter as the match wore on. The way Serena has been serving at Wimbledon, I just don’t see the same thing happening on Saturday, even against a returner of Kerber’s quality.

“For me, it’s about obviously holding the trophy and winning, which would make it a better accomplishment for me,” Serena said. “For me, [making three consecutive finals is] not enough.

“But I think that’s what makes me different. That’s what makes me Serena.”

Of course the technical and tactical analysis only holds up if Serena can step out on the court and perform without the nerves that racked her in Melbourne. Throughout these two weeks, Serena has cut a confident, almost defiant form both on court and off court. She has met every question with a strong riposte. There has been a laser focus that has honed in as the tournament progressed. That mentality will take her to No.22 on Saturday.

“Sometimes when you are fighting, sometimes you want something so bad, it can hinder you a little bit,” Serena said. “Now I’m just a little bit more calm…. Doesn’t mean that I have less competitive [instincts] at all. I think confidence brews peace and calm in champions. I think that’s how I feel.”

David Kane, Counterpoint: If Serena is calmer, Angelique Kerber is relaxed, a feeling she has expressed several times in her last two press conferences.

“I’m feeling more relaxed and I’m not making things too complicated like in Australia,” she said after a decisive 6-4, 6-4 win over five-time Wimbledon winner Venus Williams in Thursday’s semifinal. “I think this is the key.”

“I’m a little bit more relaxed when I’m going to the tournaments,” she added later on. “I know that I can trust my tennis.”

It wouldn’t be a word you could attribute to Kerber for much of the spring. Early losses in the Middle East and Indian Wells foreshadowed a crushing first round loss at the French Open.

“In Paris, it was actually too much pressure that I put on myself. I learned from everything.”

The last 18 months have indeed been a learning process for the German veteran, who converted her 2015 success at Premier-level tournaments into Grand Slam glory with her stunning Australian Open victory. The pressure and expectations of being a major champion have been converted in kind, and Kerber raced into her first Wimbledon final without losing a set.

“I learned from my up and downs. I know how to handle all the stuff which I’m doing off court. I know that I have to take the time for my practice and focusing on the gym things and on the tennis, as well.”

For the soon-to-be World No.1, the tennis doesn’t look too different these days, as she’ll face Serena in the first Grand Slam final rematch since 2006, when International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees Amélie Mauresmo and Justine Henin faced off in the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals.

It’s only everything else that’s changed.

“It’s a little bit different than in Australia because that was my first Grand Slam final there. Here I know what happens after. I know the experience what’s came directly after Australia.

“I think for sure I will go out there with a lot of confidence. At the end it’s a completely new match. We are playing on grass court. She lost the final against me, and I know she will go out and try everything to beat me right now.

“I will just try to going out there like in Australia, trying to show her, ‘Okay, I’m here to win the match, as well.’ I know that I have to play my best tennis to beat her in the final here.”

Kerber knows the serve will be an important factor in Saturday’s final, and as good as Serena has served, the German has held her own, maintaining a 71% first serve percentage in each of her last two rounds against Venus and No.5 seed Simona Halep. She has managed a postive winner-to-unforced error differential in all but one of her six matches at the All England Club, but will need to improve the 27% second serve percentage that nearly complicated an otherwise straightforward semifinal.

She also has the unenviable task of playing against history, as Serena once again aims to tie Stefanie Graf – Kerber’s compatriot – for total Grand Slam titles won at 22.

“It’s always tough to play against players like this. I mean, I will try to go in my own way, trying not thinking too much about the history of my opponents. It’s a new day, a new match. For me it’s always important to give everything I could this day.

Of course, it’s a big day for me tomorrow. I will try to  go out and win it, of course. It’s always tough against Serena. But, I will try to take the experience from Australia and trying to be a little bit more relaxed.”

A relaxed Kerber has proven more than dangerous thus far this season; playing on one of her best surfaces with the confidence of a champion, the veteran will be more than a worthy contender on Centre Court come Saturday.

Here more from the WTA Insider team as Courtney Nguyen is joined by wtatennis.com contributor Chris Oddo to preview the Wimbledon final in the latest WTA Insider Podcast:

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.