The Australian Open, Roland-Garros, The Championships and the US Open have become “Show Time”. “What they will be wearing?” expectations are part of the pageantry, as clothing companies use the opportunities to debut the latest styles, color combinations and fabrics.
The first week of the majors has become almost as fabled as the “Big Four” Fashion Weeks, which are held twice a year beginning in New York, moving to London, then Milan and concluding in Paris. But the game’s runway walks take place in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York… and are the reason “Fashioning…” has become entrenched at each event.
… and who better to call attention to the “Latest…” than a galaxy of stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Iga Świątek and Frances Tiafoe.
Photo: Getty Images
When it comes to making a significant fashion statement, Naomi Osaka is “The Originator…” and she lived up to the designation by creating jaw-dropping attention at her first match on January 20th – the day following the passing of legendary designer Valentino Garavani at the age of 93 in Rome. The Nike/Robert Wun costume she helped design would have made the Italian courtier proud…
Valentino, as he was known, believed women were beautiful flowers and this is why he created ravishing ensembles for Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, along with Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Diana, to name but a few of his clients. He believed that “Valentino Red… Rosso” was his lucky color which is why red roses were always his favorite.
Fittingly, the AO ’26 fashion parade called attention to vibrant color combinations, captivating designs and lightweight, breathable fabrics (helping to cope with the heat).
Photo: Tennis Australia
Frances Tiafoe matched Osaka…
Having been born in Maryland to Constant Tiafoe and Alphina Kamara who immigrated from Sierra Leone, he was proud to “Rock…” a Lululemon design. The shirt and matching maxi shorts paid tribute to his family’s heritage by using the Spanish blue, simple green and full white of the Sierra Leone flag.
Alcaraz and Sinner wore custom Nike looks.
On Day 1, the Spaniard debuted a sleeveless white and green shirt topped, green and black shorts, black socks and two-tone green shoes… which drew praise and chagrin…
Sinner, the 2024 and ‘25 Australian Open Men’s champion, showcased day and evening outfits, but the golden and bronze tinge, bold and earthy “Mustard” wasn’t widely applauded… and left him admitting that, “Next year, I will have a little bit more of a say in the colours”.
Sabalenka, who asked Nike to bring back pink and peach, two colors popularized by Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, wore an asymmetrical, color-blocked design in shades of pink, orange and black, with a blue trim that was supposed to have an Australian surf/ocean vibe.
Amanda Anisimova made an impact last year at The Championships and the US Open. This year at the Australian Open, her yellow and green Nike dress with blue piping and black banding, resulted in further notice…
Anisimova alternated that outfit with another showcasing shades of lavender, blue and black. Mirra Andreeva, another of Nike’s young stars, and Emma Raducanu were similarly attired.
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jessica Pegula followed the adidas “Striking Orange …” theme, while Alexander Zverev, another long time 3-Stripe wearer, remained more basic, going with a white T-shirt, black shorts and orange headband.
Francisco Cerundolo, Hubert Hurkacz and Iva Jovic also went orange, as did Learner Tien (and his coach Michael Chang). For Stefanos Tsitsipas, it was a white shirt, orange shorts declaration. Karolína Muchová wore an orange headband and white dress ensemble, while Elina Svitolina combined light and dark purple. The adidas clothing, as was the case with all the manufacturers, optimized cooling in the brutal weather conditions.
Photo: Tennis Australia
Having always stood out, Coco Gauff did it again with an orange ‘do. She called the color of her dyed braids “Ginger” then referenced Jannik Sinner, saying, “I thought it would help me out, considering there’s another ginger doing really well. Maybe it’ll give me some luck”
Looking to “Capture the Summer Spirit”, Gauff’s New Balance outfits highlighted the “Hot Marigold” and “Daybreak Periwinkle” colorways. Tommy Paul, a New Balance teammate, was decked out in forest green, purple, lime and navy blue.
Making her final Australian Open appearance, Sorana Cirstea’s purple top and mixed purples pleated skirt, and Jordan Thompson’s light and dark purple shirt with white sections, combined with purple shorts, socks and shoes, evoked the “Capture the Summer Spirit”.
Source: Instagram
Yonex PR claimed that neon, navy, and lime, as well as the grey/pink “Fluorescent wave” combinations with slash designs and gradient patterns would be featured….
But Stan Wawrinka, a longtime Yonex wearer who was playing his final AO, followed personal dictates (who could forget the checked shorts he wore winning Roland-Garros in 2015), donning a light blue and white collarless shirt with a checked strip adorning the placket. He finished his outfit with blue and white shorts that reflected his shirt.
Having always been “Big On Blue…”, I found Elena Rybakina’s Yonex Blue outfit captivating. Casper Ruud wore blue and yellow, like another on the Yonex team, Dayana Yastremska, who mixed a Ukrainian blue and yellow pattern on a two-piece outfit. Zizou Bergs was another “Quiet…” pattern wearer while Linda Noskova highlighted blended colors. Diana Shnaider was in light blue as was Rinky Hijikata, who has moved from FILA to Yonex.
FILA, like Valentino, has always been known for its clean lines and tasteful use of color. Brandon Nakashima and Bu Yunchaokete, along with Jaqueline Cristian, Barbora Krejčíková, and Karolína Plíšková have supported the company’s tradition.
EA7 Emporio Armani, another Italian company, began producing sportswear in 2004. In 2019, Fabio Fognini was the first tennis player signed. Lucia Bronzetti became the first woman to join the team in 2025.
Dark, bold colors highlighted by white or vibrant stylish accents were featured in the EA7 outfits worn by Bronzetti, Matteo Arnaldi, Alexander Bublik, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Luciano Darderi, Hamad Medjedovic, Veronika Kudermetova and Lorenzo Sonego. Adding to its appeal, EA7 also dressed the accomplished Men’s Doubles teams Marcelo Arévalo / Mate Pavić and Simone Bolelli / Andrea Vavassori.
Ever since René Lacoste and André Gillier founded La Société Chemise Lacoste in 1933, the tennis clothier has relied on traditional colors – which is what Djokovic’s green shirt and black shorts conveyed.
Daniil Medvedev, a Lacoste regular, was decked out in a pseudo lime, blue patterned shirt and black shorts. Eva Lys, who joined the company in late 2025, debuted a signature line with a fitted white open necked blouse and a black skirt. Not to be overlooked, Venus Williams wore a classic black dress that dignified the fact the 45-year-old was playing the tournament for the 22nd time.
Lorenzo Musetti and Jasmine Paolini were centerstage for ASICS featuring a pastel blue shirt and black shorts for him, and a limeade-like top and shorts for her. Belinda Benic’s white dress had an appealing green sunburst.
The company lost Alex de Minaur who joined Wilson’s impressive clients, including Marta Kostyuk and Karen Khachanov. It was Kostyuk’s spectacular line that the company introduced in 2025.
Victoria “Vicky” Mboko and Anastasia Potapova were also Wilson Red “W” members… though the color is now called “Port Royal” highlighting burgundy dresses/shorts and an off white shirts… Jiri Lehecka followed his own palette and mixed a pink and red shirt with white shorts.
Photo: Tennis Australia
Mention On and Iga Świątek’s name immediately follows… Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli and Joao Fonseca were also part of On’s freelance color schemes featuring lines or dot splashes… and for Shelton it was all about “showoff” sleeveless shirts.
And there were…
In 2017, Taylor Townsend’s Nike clothing contract was not renewed so she started thinking… and ended up working with designer Alexander-John. The result was the TT brand debuted at Roland-Garros in 2025. At the AO, using her “self-branding…” ability, she wore a variety of colors and styles beginning with a “Townshend Blue…” creation (appreciated because of my “Blue” fandom…).
Taylor Fritz has been a BOSS Tennis Ambassador since 2024, the others being Matteo Berrettini and Jack Draper who were both absent from the Australian Open due to injuries. Fritz initially played in a grey-green shirt, black shorts combo.
Marcos Giron also wore shades of grey for his sponsor Vuori – a grey-blue shirt and dark grey shorts.
There was more grey from Andrey Rublev, who turned out in products from his clothing collaboration known as K-Swiss x Rublo, matching a grey or blue shirt featuring bold swirling lines with grey shorts.
Around the time of the 2025 Australian Open, Alexei Popyrin changed from the FILA collection, that included Rorschach Test style patterns on grey T-Shirts, to the Psycho Bunny range. At this year’s AO, he wore an outfit of green hues.
Tomáš Macháč’s Joma yellow with a dash of blue on the shoulder shirt and customary short white shorts drew notice.
Ajla Tomljanovic’s Original Penguin pastel patterned sleeveless Lettuce Edge tank top and Lettuce Edge Tennis Skort, with white socks in black shoes, made the most of her 5’11” height.
At 6’11”, Reilly Opelka is formidable. Off the tour from August 2022 until July 2024 because of hip and wrist surgeries, Opelka is known for his art appreciation and fashion interests. Previously he had teamed with FILA, but at the AO ’26 he transitioned to Sease, another elite Italian company.
Not knowing the name, I discovered that Sease was founded in 2018 by brothers Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana who focused on making luxury, sustainable products using cashmere, technical nylon and virgin wool. The tennis clothing is positioned as a luxury, high-performance brand, as the prices on the company’s website suggest – with polo shirts listed between $635–$770; shorts between $705–$905; warmups between $1,300–$1,450, women’s dresses $1,150 and warmups $1,450.
During the first week 120 Men’s Singles and 96 Women’s Singles matches were contested, along with doubles and mixed doubles… which is why “Fashioning…” is filled with a catalogue of observations…
Title photo of Amanda Anisimova wearing the most popular Nike dress for players at the 2026 Australian Open by Tennis Australia