The start of the U.S. Open 2024, with Naomi Osaka’s stunning new look, allows us to reflect on the tournament’s history, which includes some of tennis’ most daring outfits.
Tennis is labelled a “white sport” because of its clothes and manners, yet these are not characteristics that accompany it on every occasion. The U.S. Open doesn’t have the classicism of Wimbledon, but it kicks off a week after New York Fashion Week and puts the best-dressed celebrities in the stands. Not just in the stands. Some of the most stunning outfits in tennis history emerged at the U.S. Open. Day and night sessions make it easy for players to showcase different outfits in a place where respect for white is a thing of the past.
We highlight some of the most significant style moments from the U.S. Open, including garments that made an impact on tennis attire and others that were forgotten forever.
Agassi and denim
It all started with a question from Peter Moore, the man who created the Air Jordan concept, to John McEnroe, a tennis player with rock influences. “If you could only wear one item of clothing, on and off the court, what would it be?” McEnroe replied “jeans” and Peter Moore spent the next few months trying to develop a sports fabric with a denim look.
He eventually succeeded, but the erratic McEnroe was already preoccupied with other issues. It was a young tennis player, Andre Agassi, who popularised denim as a sporting element.
Agassi and Fluor
Andre Agassi added spandex and colour to denim in daring combinations that began with pink (officially salmon), matching his Nike Tech Challenge 2 “Hot Lava” outfit, which was later supplemented with purple and neon pieces. At the U.S. Open in the early nineties, Andre Agassi wore all the color he was forbidden to wear at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams, black and denim
Serena Williams recovered Andre Agassi’s denim in a skirt in 2004, but it went unnoticed due to a garment she never wore during official matches. A pair of gaiters that covered her Nike Shox Glamour SW, designed by Wilson Smith (another Jordan regular, also creator of the Nike More Uptempo) and that Serena Williams only wore during the warm-up. Enough to attract everyone’s attention.
Maria Sharapova, little black dress
The US Open has afternoon and evening sessions, which Swiss designer Natalie Condrian took advantage of in 2006 when she dressed Maria Sharapova in a black dress inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The fact that Sharapova won the tournament dressed in that Little Black Dress inspired Riccardo Tisci years later to develop the concept and establish black as the color of NYC nights.
Color and Pharrell
Stan Smith is one of Pharrell Williams’ fashion icons. The singer, producer, and designer has been spotted in the stands of major tournaments, accompanying the tennis player, and his collections with adidas have included reissues and reinterpretations of the legendary Stan Smith.
adidas and Pharrell’s collection for the 2017 US Open was inspired by the colors and shapes of the 1970s, when Stan Smith developed his game. Garbiñe Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Sascha Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wore the garments in a collection that sought to invite the world to raise its voice.
The start of the U.S. Open 2024 will bring us new outfits and eagerly awaited reissues like the Nike Tech Challenge 2. We’ll keep an eye out for everything that may come up in two weeks of tennis.