The 2017 US Open: Fashion Aces
Tennis is delivering one cultural touchstone after another this f
The fashion world is obsessed with the tennis sphere right now, says GQ. "Are we in a Golden Age of tennis style?" asks Bloomberg. At the same time, none other than Vogue's Anna Wintour pens a piece for TENNIS **that praises Roger Federer for all his sporting and sartorial splendor.
With another ballyhooed fashion fortnight in New York, it's unclear just what measure of influence tennis enjoys over the behemoth style world at large. That said, what tennis pros slip into for marquee matches and back-court showings alike remains a matter of ongoing fascination, especially at major events.
With all the ado deserved for what adorns their physiques, here are this US Open's fashion aces:
Riza Ozaki, Diadora
A quilted-argyle pattern and striking color palette make this first-time addition to the style winners list differentiate herself from the other 127 women in the singles draw.
Ana Bogdan, Adidas
How to stand out from one's peers in the Haus of Adidas family? Not chosen to represent the Pharrell line – trust, we'll get to that shortly – just opt for a pretty orange hue and rock what you've got.
Maria Sharapova, Riccardo Tisci for Nike
So much has been made of this heralded collab among Tisci, Nike and Sharapova. The designer, formerly of Givenchy, bedecked his trendy friend in Swarovski crystals, her second US Open outing in those sparkles, for a dress with a $600 sticker.
The one thing Sharapova might've gone without, had she more of a choice: the heat-inducing medical tape pressed onto her arms since round 1. That she does not relish.
Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep and most of the Pharrell for Adidas clan
Let's get this out of the way: The most hyped thing at this Open aside from Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov, Pharrell's collection for the three-legendary-stripes giant has everyone talking. From Katy Perry's Super Bowl show to Hot Dog on a Stick, the reference points will be many when primary colors are used like so. What carried me over on this look were two things: Halep repped her Romanian flag with it, even in embattled defeat, and Osaka wears it better than anyone else in the Adidas stable.
Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev, Pharrell for Adidas
This simply looks like stuff the brothers were born to wear.
Monica Puig, Ellesse
Classic and clean; this player and this brand continue to work simple magic together.
Roger Federer, Nike
Notably, Federer's night-session look handily wins over his daytime attire. (See more on that in our "faults" post.) In short: Black will always marry the night in New York. Paired with accent-colored shoes, Federer is flat-out seeing red.
Frances Tiafoe, also in Nike black
Spare a moment for Federer's first-round 'foe, who had designs on upending the GOAT and a great design pasted onto himself.
Nicole Gibbs and Heather Watson, New Balance
Horizontal stripes work for these women as they did for Puig. It's the choice of colors that turns these tops into aces, delivering one last gasp for summer tones.
Venus Williams, Eleven by Venus
Sporting her own label's centerpiece kit, Venus tips her visor cap to Banana Republic by my take, looking glorious in a modernized giraffe print and unexpected hues.
Dominika Cibulkova, Christina McHale and Alize Cornet, in Lacoste
Here's a brand with a great lineup of personalities on its list, all of them properly dazzling in their own ways with the same frock for as long as they lasted.
Feliciano Lopez, Ellesse
The grandly loping Lopez provides a perfect counterpart to Puig in Ellesse. Elegant, pristine and gentlemanly – the player and the fashion.
Sloane Stephens, Under Armour
Perfect cut. Gorgeous color. Fantastic ball-striking. As style goes, Sloane has reigned supreme in UA all summer.
Sania Mirza, SM Tennis
When a contract ends with a sponsor, what to do? Start one's own line, said Mirza, the portrait of pretty in pink.
Madison Keys, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Garcia, Shapovalov and many more, in Nike
The look seems to have, by turns, an oil-slick or stained-glass motif. It's certainly different, and even slightly funky.
Rafael Nadal, in Nike
The Spanish Bull dons pink and the tennis Twitterati lose their collective minds. That qualifies him a 2017 US Open fashion champ. (Now let's see if he takes the real thing home.)
Your turn, tennis fashionistas: Drop me a line on Twitter with your sartorial agreeance and/or beefs. I will be your wardrobe whipping boy.
Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.