Observant fashionistas will have noticed an interesting trend this year. Grand Slams are no longer just about tennis: they now double as cat walks as well. With ‘tennis core’ becoming a big trend in both men’s and women’s casual wear, brands are taking the opportunity to show off their wares at the US Open this year.
We’ve seen some brilliant outfits, from the iconic Naomi Osaka through to the ever-trendy Frances Tiafoe and everything in between. Here are the seven that stood out the most to us from the past fortnight in Flushing Meadows.
1. Svitolina’s Slits
Adidas really threw out the script with some of their women’s outfits at the US Open this year. Seen here on Elina Svitolina, the ‘Pro Wow’ dress featured daring slits around the shoulder and armpit region. Unique? Yes. Practical? I mean, it will help air things out on those muggy New York evenings. Fashionable? Not my cup of tea, but a change is as good as a holiday.
2. Tiafoe’s Lavender
Betting on the US Open was tough this year, but one thing that would have been a safe bet was that Frances Tiafoe would turn up with a fire outfit. The 26-year-old did exactly that, sporting this lavender singlet that absolutely popped on him. Big Foe wore it in his semi-final loss to Taylor Fritz–and went through about 20 of them, changing tops so many times he needed help from security to carry out his dirty laundry after the match.
3. Darth Sabalenka
In 2007, we had Darth Federer. Now, the 2024 US Open brought us Darth Sabalenka. This all black outfit sported just the one splash of color, a red tick on the chest. The brutal Sabalenka crushing winner after winner on Arthur Ashe was a sight to behold. It’s a shame she didn’t wear it for the final and fully embrace her villain role as she took on home favorite Jessica Pegula.
4. All That Yellow
Coco Gauff introduced the trend of wearing highlighter yellow last season, and it was out in force at this year’s US Open amongst the women’s players. Marta Kostyuk was the leader, looking like a bona fide piece of stationary as she wore this fluoro kit in her loss to Emma Navarro in the third round.
5. Can They Get Any Shorter?
Holger Rune loves to get his legs out, but the past fortnight in New York saw several others join him. Tomas Machac was chief amongst them, showing off his rippling quadriceps with these measly shorts in his loss to Jack Draper.
6. Everything Osaka Wore
Naomi Osaka’s tennis might not yet be back to the level she would have hoped, but the American is well and truly setting the bar when it comes to fashion. She was absolutely iconic in the first week of the US Open – it’s a shame she only played two matches. For her first, she came out in a ruffled lime green skirt with an enormous matching bow.Â
Her second match saw her in an even more audacious outfit – perhaps the most outrageous kit we’ve ever seen at the US Open, at least since the Williams sisters reigned supreme. In her loss to eventual semi-finalist Karolina Muchova, Osaka boasted what looked like fairy lights in her hair, plus another oversized bow, matched by mini bows on her shoes and a slick skirt as well.
7. Kyrgios Living His Best Life
Last but not least, the Nick Kyrgios show. The 2022 semi-finalist only stepped on court as an interviewer this year, but he had all of social media blowing up with his outfits. Tennis staff are typically conservative, so it definitely caught attention when Kyrgios – working for ESPN – conducted his on-court interviews of players wearing, well, whatever he liked. From hoodies with Kobe’s face, to baggy pants, baseball caps and basketball shoes, Kyrgios danced to the beat of his own drum.
What was your favorite outfit at this year’s US Open? Let us know in the comments below!
