From bold Australia-inspired designs to traditional silhouettes, the latest tennis apparel offer combines style and performance to assist players in bringing their A-games to the courts at Melbourne Park.
Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog summarizes the variety of trend-setting looks prepared by major tennis apparel companies for the 2020 Australian Open.
Adidas’ HEAT.RDY collection, dominated by purple tones with coral accents, is engineered to keep players cool, dry, and confident on the court.
Garbiñe Muguruza and Kristina Mladenovic will debut the Heat Ready Dress, a colorblock design that comes with a built-in bra and a separate coordinating shortie with leg grippers.
Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber will rock the Heat Ready Tank, which, just like the dress, includes elastic Y-back tank straps, and the Heat Ready Skirt.
When it comes to shoes, adidas has updated their popular models in Melbourne-ready colors, while they’ve also launched a groundbreaking laceless shoe design -- the Stycon. The new silhouette offers superior fit and ultimate control in a futuristic, street-style-inspired aesthetic.
Nike-sponsored athletes will wear outfits inspired by the rock formations and continental shifts of prehistoric Australia. The hand-painted watercolor print was created in collaboration with Melbourne-based artist Cassie Byrnes.
The range includes a colorful dress and skirt, intended to be combined with the collection’s statement piece -- a bold temperature-regulating knee-length bodysuit, available in yellow, black and purple, which can be worn on its own as well.
When it comes to footwear, Nike has updated their Vapor Cage 4, Vapor X and Air Zoom Zero models in a special “Fairy Bread” colorway that draws inspiration from the popular Australian treat. In addition, they’ve released the Air Max Vapor Wing, a stylish new lifestyle tennis shoe.
Maria Sharapova’s Nike dress boasts generous strategically-placed mesh panels that combine well with stretchy jersey fabric. The five-time Grand Slam champion tweeted this bright crimson version of the new design, while it also exists in black and yellow.
Aus Open @Nikecourt MS Collection 💥💥💥https://t.co/S7XgXP9cJW pic.twitter.com/v8qvOXIXsL
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) January 15, 2020
All Fila’s athletes will sport vibrant tropical hues of electrifying blue, green citrus and pops of ripe cantaloupe from the Colorful Play collection.
Soft-edged silhouettes blend comfort, performance and style in a variety of tops, like the cross-back Fila Play Cami Tank, seen here on Sofia Kenin, or the colorblock Fila Play Full Coverage Tank promoted by Karolina Pliskova.
The tops are intended to be paired with either the flutter-hem Flare Skort or the traditional A-Line Skort.
The Axilus 2 Energized shoe will be the choice of Fila’s representatives on court in Melbourne, complementing the smooth pastels of the Colorful Play collection with a green ash, amparo blue and white colorway.
Venus Williams and her EleVen team created the Neon Dreams collection for the Australian Open. A photo from their Spring/Summer 2020 lookbook shows the American in the Zoom Tank and Mirror Skirt.
Danielle Collins has already given a lot of exposure to New Balance’s Spring 2020 collection, as the American reached the Brisbane International quarterfinals and the Adelaide International semifinals dressed in the lemon lush New Balance AO Tournament Tank and the black New Balance AO Tournament Skirt, featuring all-over mesh pinholes and side vents for freedom of movement.
The Fresh Foam Lav shoes complete the yellow New Balance look.
Julia Goerges will sport these coral and navy separates, with her clothing sponsor Asics putting the focus on her color-coordinated Solution Speed FF shoes.
The latest Lucky in Love collection created in collaboration with Bethanie Mattek-Sands draws inspiration from the iconic Sydney Opera House, one of the main symbols of Australia.
“A Night at the Opera," as the collection is called, continues to express the American’s convention-defying spirit and bright personality, through asymmetrical designs, eclectic prints and unpredictable colorblocking.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova took to Instagram to show us her Lacoste dress, featuring a quarter-zip entry, yellow and light blue highlights on the sides and green crocodile branding on left chest.
Dayana Yastremska’s Yonex Australian Open Tank and Skirt are inspired by the courts at Melbourne Park when it comes to the sea blue color, while red accents represent power and confidence. The vertical side stripes of the simple racerback tank provide a waist-slimming effect.
Elise Mertens and other Lotto representatives have already launched their new apparel during the Australian Open warm-up period. Here we can see the Belgian wearing the Lotto Spring Tech Top and Skirt, combining mint and dark blue blocks on a white background.
The ever-expanding WTA apparel scene gets more competitive every season, so tennis fashion enthusiasts have a lot to be excited about during the upcoming Australian Open fortnight.