Tennis News

WTA players are going to give all they’ve got to perform well at the 2016 French Open, leaving it to their clothing sponsors to make sure that comfort and style are not compromised during strenuous matches. Let’s hand over to Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see the outfits ready to rock the world of sports fashion during the most prestigious tennis tournament on clay.

Last year adidas made noise with designer Yohji Yamamoto’s avant-garde styles and this year the standout collaboration is again bringing us a daring one-of-a-kind range. The Roland Garros 2016 collaboration between adidas Tennis and Y-3 has produced an eye-catching print, inspired by dazzle camouflage from the 40s and 50s.

Like @AnaIvanovic, everybody faces challenges growing up. It’s up to you to overcome them and #CreateYourMark pic.twitter.com/6Fyio0GXPO

— adidas tennis (@adidastennis) May 5, 2016

Ana Ivanovic, Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep and Kristina Mladenovic will all go for these zebra-like stripes, which evoke a sense of movement even when players are standing still between points.

For @KikiMladenovic, fear is just another opponent to beat. Free your game and #CreateYourMark pic.twitter.com/VveEr2Opdl

— adidas tennis (@adidastennis) April 30, 2016

Players can opt for the visually-striking adidas Roland Garros Y-3 On Court Dress or a dazzling combination of the adidas Roland Garros Y-3 Tank to be paired with a black skort featuring layered jacquard mesh overlay.

The adidas adizero Y-3 2016 Shoes are promising to deliver incredible resilience and energy return during intense rallies, providing ultimate traction, as well as the feeling of comfort.

Nike is honoring the tournament’s host country by clothing its players in a spectrum of blues, France’s signature color, with world number one Serena Williams sporting a light photo blue NikeCourt Premier Dress, which captivates with its modern take on a classic vibe. Dropped back hem, box pleats and mesh back panel ensure comfortable fit and captivating design.

Madison Keys‘blue outfitincludes the collared NikeCourt Premier Advantage Sleeveless Polo and the pleated NikeCourt Victory Skirt, which ensures photogenic movement and minimal distractions thanks to an inner ball short.

Caroline Wozniacki‘s planned adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Dress included all the fashion elements we’ve loved so much, like the figure-slimming frontal colorblock, T-shaped racerback, oval mesh inset at back and floral print, bringing all the features together with a nice lilac shade. Such a pity the Dane has withdrawn from Roland Garros!

The range also includes a variety of tops and bottoms, allowing for a number of stylish combinations, my favorite being Garbiñe Muguruza‘s combo that made my March’s best dressed list: the fresh yellow adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Tank and its matching adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Skirt with four rows of laser-cut hexagons.

Jelena Jankovic will choose from these four colorful dresses, part of Fila’s limited-edition Spring 2016 collection designed by Wimbledon 2013 champion Marion Bartoli. The Serb has already debuted the dotted “eye dress” at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, becoming the top fashion talk of the tournament, and we can only look forward to seeing the rest of “Love Fila by Marion Bartoli” cooperation, especially the lavender dress with the Eiffel Tower print, inspired by the Frenchwoman’s hometown of Paris.

“I’m happy to wear something that’s different, you know. You can also go out of the comfort zone and the classic ones. I like the classic, you know, as well. But it’s also nice to sometimes have a changeup and just wear something that’s not really typical print for a tennis dress,” Jankovic said about the collection in Rome.

Other Fila athletes, most notably Karolina Pliskova and Yaroslava Shvedova, will sport the Gingham collection, celebrating the quintessential print with peacoat navy and white checks. Shvedova’s promotional image showcases the Fila Spring Gingham Racerback Tank, one of five available silhouettes of tops, and the Fila Spring Gingham Skirt, which exists in navy, gingham and white, and is designed to match all the shirts from the range.

Venus Williams prepared the EleVen Geo Swirl Dress for Roland Garros. The cut is highlighted by the narrow high neckline and thin white straps at waist for a figure-flattering effect.

Lacoste‘s WTA players, most notably Elena Vesnina and Dominika Cibulkova, will wear the Spring 2016 collection, including the above-shown Lacoste Spring Dress, specific for its quarter-zip entry at chest and keyhole cutout at center back, the Lacoste Spring Mesh Back Tank, a traditional design with mesh panels at upper back and underarms that provide breathability and visual interest, and the Lacoste Spring Contrast Tipped Skirt, a classic piece with stylish contrast binding.

Agnieszka Radwanska will wear a coral dress from Lotto’s limited-edition Lacy line, a feminine piece whose elegant lace takes on unique forms, bringing Paris runways to the courts without compromising comfort and performance. The new SS16 Stratosphere speed-oriented shoes will help Radwanska move confidently on clay, as the innovative technology provides optimal cushioning and responsiveness with every step.

Heather Watson will wear the New Balance Tournament Dress, which made my April’s best dressed list, as seen on Sorana Cirstea at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup. Strappy racerback, “N” houndstooth burnout stretch mesh back panel and NB DRY technology ensure a good range of motion and comfortable performance with minimum sweat. The Brit will be competing in the New Balance 996v2, a lightweight performance tennis shoe made with PROBANK stability technology.

Thank you @lecoqsportif for letting me design and wear another jumpsuit at @rolandgarros this year #overalls #RG2016 pic.twitter.com/8N6R7npsr1

— Alizé Lim (@AlizeLim) May 17, 2016

Paris native Alizé Lim will try to make the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time, wearing a jumpsuit designed according to her guidelines. Another bold move by Le Coq Sportif!

It’s time to vote for January’s WTA Player of the Month!

Have a look at the nominees and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, February 3.

January 2017 WTA Player Of The Month Finalists

Serena Williams: Serena’s historic month came to its dizzying peak as she held aloft the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy after defeating sister Venus in straight sets to win the Australian Open. It was not only her seventh title Down Under, but also her 23rd overall, earning her the sole holder of the Open Era record she previously shared with Stefanie Graf. The win also returned Serena to No.1 on the WTA rankings and the Road to Singapore leaderboard.

Venus Williams: Not to be outdone, Venus served a bit of history herself, reaching her first major final since 2009 in Melbourne. It was her first Australian Open final in 14 years, and the American dropped just one set through six matches. Despite losing to Serena in the championship match, the elder of the Williamses still found herself at No.2 on the RTS leaderboard.

Karolina Pliskova: Pliskova began the year with a bang, winning the Brisbane International and roaring into her second straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. The Czech powerhouse won her first nine matches of the season and rose up to a career-high ranking of No.3.

Johanna Konta: The Brit also served notice to start 2017, winning her second career title at the Apia International Sydney. Under immense ranking pressure in Australia, Konta held her nerve to return to the quarterfinals. 

2016 Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka
April: Angelique Kerber
May: Garbiñe Muguruza
June: Serena Williams
July: Simona Halep
August: Monica Puig
September: Petra Kvitova
October: Dominika Cibulkova

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com

In a draw of 128 players, which players could pull off a plot twist or two at this year’s French Open? WTA Insider takes a look at the young and the restless who will reside between the biggest seeds in the forthcoming draw:

The Americans: Typically overlooked at this time of year, Internazionali BNL d’Italia runner-up Madison Keys leads a talented team of Americans who can definitely do some damage on the dirt. Keys unlocked her clay court potential last week in Rome as she found her timing and maintained her patience through a winning week in the Eternal City, outlasting Petra Kvitova and Garbiñe Muguruza en route to the final.

.@SloaneStephens receives a BIG surprise in Episode 3 of @DDFTennis' “Always Full of Surprises!” ?https://t.co/Got3BfEqZ3

— WTA (@WTA) April 27, 2016

It’s hard to predict exactly what will come next with Sloane Stephens, who has risen to the highest of highs – winning three titles – and sank to the lowest of lows – going 1-4 at the first three Premier Mandatory tournaments and Australian Open – in 2016.

The French Open, however, has been her haven for consistency, reaching the fourth round in four of her five appearances – defeating Venus Williams and pushing sister Serena to three sets last year. Stephens has made a career out of saving her best tennis for the biggest stages, and will certainly feel she has something to prove next week in Paris.

Irina Falconi won her maiden WTA title this season on red clay in Bogota, while Christina McHale is coming off a second straight quarterfinal finish in Rome.

18 Americans – including Madrid semifinalist Louisa Chirico, who qualified for the main draw on Friday – are set to face off at the French Open – the most of any nation.

The French: Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic have soared to new heights as a pair, riding a 15-match winning streak through three titles in Charleston, Stuttgart, and Madrid. Apart, they’ve largely struggled to translate that success to singles, but both Garcia and Mladenovic are in the semifinals at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, making up two-thirds of the largest French representation in the final four of a WTA tournament since 2006 at the Paris Indoors.

Garcia made her breakthrough in Paris as a teenager in 2011, getting within two games of defeating Maria Sharapova. Mladenovic won the title as a junior, and upset Eugenie Bouchard en route to the third round last year. The latter lin particular has looked buoyed by a bump in confidence in Strasbourg, building on a second round win over Alison Riske, which she won a in a third set tie-break, to looking all business in the quarterfinals against Alla Kudryavtseva.

Ranked in between the two is Alizé Cornet, who flew into the fourth round for the first time in 10 previous French Open appearances last year. The veteran enjoyed a fast start to 2016 with a title in Hobart, but while a back injury has slowed her since, she will likely be appointment television should she headline one of the show courts to start the week.

Pauline Parmentier reached the quarterfinals in Strasbourg this week with a win over Stephens, and beat Roberta Vinci to reach the fourth round in 2014.

The Romanians: Simona Halep reasserted her presence as one of the biggest names in tennis this spring, and not a moment too soon, as her countrywoman were right at her heels for most of the clay court season. Irina-Camelia Begu took the only set Halep would lose in Madrid, pushing the former World No.2 to three sets in the quarterfinals.

Begu backed up that result – where she also ousted Muguruza in three grueling sets – in emphatic style a week later in Rome, reaching her first career Premier 5 semifinal.

Monica Niculescu may prefer the faster courts, but she nonetheless had a strong start to her clay court swing, defeating Garcia and holding a pair of match points on Petra Kvitova in Stuttgart. Edging into the seeds at No.31, her unique ground game could cause problems for whomever she may face in her opening rounds.

Sorana Cirstea qualified for the main draw and is a 2009 quarterfinalist in Paris – defeating former No.1 Jelena Jankovic that year – and was one of four Romanian women to reach the last eight in Madrid. Along with Chirico, Cirstea is among the most dangerous qualifiers a big name could face.

The Dashas: Two of the most compelling counterparts since Jane Austen’s Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Daria Kasatkina and Daria Gavrilova are a pair of dynamic characters who have proven to be highly capable on clay.

Kasatkina is the embodiment of “sense.” The teenager has, with the swiftest of prudence, built up quite the resumé in her still young career. Looking to reach a third straight Grand Slam third round, the Russian reached the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open, falling to Stephens from match point up.

Another junior French Open champion, Kasatkina employs excellent court sense and a heavy topspin forehand that could reverse the blips she endured in Rome and Madrid.

Gavrilova, by contrast, is “sensibility” incarnate. The emotional Aussie began the year with a bang, roaring into the round of 16 at the Australian Open with a thrilling win over Mladenovic in the third round. Rebounding from a slump that started in the Middle East, she upset Kvitova to reach the quarterfinals of Madrid and battled past Halep in Rome, where she reached the semifinals a year ago.

Gavrilova finds herself unseeded, while Kasatkina is in the Top 32 for the first time in her career; might both carve out a happy ending in Paris?

Click here to keep up with WTA Insider’s pre-French Open coverage!

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.