Tennis News

What fashion weeks are in haute couture, Grand Slams are in tennis fashion, and NYC’s US Open is unarguably the most stylish major, inspiring designers to create edgy and vibrant outfits that reflect the energy of the host city. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the best tennis apparel we’ve seen on the courts this fortnight at Flushing Meadows.

Venus Williams‘ prints topped our fashion lists many times, but the EleVen Prism Chela Dress takes colors and patterns to a whole new level, just as the 2000 and 2001 US Open champion announced prior to launching the Prism collection, which includes bright and vibrant summer colors, as well as cooler and calmer fall tones.

The American’s dress at the final Grand Slam of the year stands out not only with its appealing print, but also with the stylish purple color-blocking at back, a nice wrap element and feminine flowy skirt, while performance features include EleVen Pro-Dri, managing moisture and breathability, and EleVen Ozone, fighting off harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Serena Williams‘ legendary career has been highlighted by dozens of outfits that pushed the boundaries in women’s tennis fashion and this time the world number one again made sure to stand out, accessorizing her NikeCourt Power Dress with “Wonder Woman” sleeves. Both the night and day version of the dress feature hyper pink pleat details, mock neck and ribbed shoulder panels.

The American also has two versions of her lightweight, quick and aggressive Nike Flare shoes, the black and white option with volt and pink touches. The footwear is ideal for explosive movements, as its extended stretch collar keeps the feet locked-in.

Completing the glamorous look are long almond-shaped nails and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch.

Madison Keys‘and Roberta Vinci‘s eye-catching fluorescent kit consists of the highly breathable and seamless constructed NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and the pleated NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt with a contoured power mesh waistband.

Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep are showcasing adidas’ spectacular fall collection, whose geometric print is inspired by New York City’s spectacular architecture.

The adidas Fall Pro Tank is equipped with ventilating Climacool material, while extra breathability is provided by keyholes at back, stylishly accompanied by a contrast mesh racerback.

While Kerber paired her flash red tank with the bold triangular print of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, Halep went a step further and opted for the collection’s boldest piece, the adidas Fall Pro Short, whose colorful pattern is peeking through a white woven mesh layer.

Caroline Wozniacki, Garbiñe Muguruza and Andrea Petkovic picked color-blocking items that feature marble graphic elements engineered with ClimaLite® to wick sweat away from the skin.

Wozniacki’s adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress in collegiate navy/white/flash red pays tribute to the Grand Slam’s American home ground. The Dane’s neat flash red manicure accessorizes bold shades and figure-flattering lines that create a feminine hourglass illusion.

Muguruza’s and Petkovic’s ensemble includes the high-neck adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt, which is available in two lengths.

Fila is one of those brands that never goes far from good old retro. The Heritage collection for the 2016 US Open, as seen here on Yaroslava Shvedova and Jelena Jankovic, brings Fila’s time-honored silhouettes and colorways enhanced by modern elements.

Classic red head ties perfectly match contemporary blurred stripes, creating a wonderful balance between traditional and modern aesthetic led by the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress.

Karolina Pliskova opted for simple separates consisting of the Fila Heritage Racerback Tank and the Fila Heritage Skirt, in which the Czech won the Western & Southern Open title ahead of the US Open.

Which WTA player’s on-court fashion aced the US Open? Tell us now!

A US Open champion must balance the fatigue from a long season with the freneticism the big city. Unseede dAna Konjuh triumphed three years ago in the junior event, and New York has been in her blood ever since.

“The energy here is great,” she said after her third round win over Varvara Lepchenko. “There’s always something to do, so I’m not in the hotel like usual. I love the city and the tournament. It’s really great to be here.”

Konjuh had just reached the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, but the last teenager left in the draw discussed her daily schedule like an old pro.

“There’s always a day between the matches, so I finish practicing around noon, and then go do what I do.

“I don’t want to be stuck on site 24/7 where it’s just tennis, tennis, tennis. That’s a bit boring. I’m 18 years old and I like to do other stuff too.

“I like to discover new restaurants, see movies, and just strolling around the city. I went shopping on Fifth Avenue, went to Broadway and Times Square, I did some sight seeing. It was really nice.”

The Croat’s week got even nicer on Monday when she knocked out No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the quarterfinals.

“I played her at Wimbledon,” she reminded members of the media late last night. “This time I took opportunities. I was just going for it. It was the key to the match.”

Konjuh had held three match points against the Pole at the All England Club, eventually spraining her ankle en route to a heartbreaking loss.

“After that, I went home and had three weeks of therapy. That was really hard because I didn’t get any off time in the summer; I had to do therapy and exercises all day to get better. After that, I got back on court and was bit afraid of moving.”

Fans who saw the injury could certainly forgive the fear. The teenager was running for a Radwanska drop shot when disaster struck in real time.

“My coach showed me the video on Twitter while I was waiting in the physio room,” she recalled.” I said, ‘Yeah, that looks great!’ I didn’t know what had happened to my ankle yet, but I saw the video and was like ‘Oof. If I get back on the court, it’ll be good.'”

Looking more than good headlining her first night session, Konjuh received high praise from coach and former WTA No.32 Jelena Kostanic Tosic.

“My coach said it was my best match ever, and I believe her. I’m obviously seeing that from the other side. I’m real excited about my performance tonight. My serve was pretty good tonight. I don’t think she had any answers.

“I just took the opportunity and went for it, enjoyed the moment.”

Staying present is a learned skill for Konjuh, who was a budding junior star when older sister Antonia fell dangerously ill with a rare autoimmune disease.

“One day she fell on the ground and we didn’t know what had happened. I think I was in Turkey, somewhere, playing a 10K. My father let me know, but I didn’t think it was something serious.

“But then day after day, she didn’t get better, and she celebrated her birthday not knowing who we are. That was really tough for our whole family. She was in the hospital and when I was home, I’d get to see her. I had to do what I had to do in tennis, but I was praying for her. When she got better, it was a miracle.

“Nobody knew what was wrong with her because it was an autoimmune disease, and she was the first case in Croatia. We’re a small country so nobody knew anything. It was really hard for us, but we got through it.

“It defined who I am today. Now I don’t take anything for granted and I just live every day like it’s my last.”

There’s a quiet confidence about the Croat, who next plays No.10 seed Karolina Pliskova, herself a rookie at this stage of a Slam. Her no-nonsense attitude could not only rival a native New Yorker’s, but also help her continue to get by in the city that never sleeps.

“I like fancier places but the food is so expensive, and I don’t see why I should pay for that when the food is great at Dave & Buster’s. We’ll go after a match and have some fun, and then go to Times Square and do some sight seeing. I haven’t been to the Empire State yet, so I hope I can do that this year.

“But if not, there will be other years.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.