Women’s tennis shoes and clothes ruling the 2016 French Open

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Wilson Blade 9

The world of tennis fashion is more competitive than ever and Grand Slams are the largest arenas for sports apparel companies to display their latest performance-driven, eye-catching designs. I’ve been doing Grand Slam fashion overviews for years and now I’m excited to have a detailed look at all the outfits making our WTA players comfortable and stylish during their French Open endeavors. 

Ana Ivanovic - 2016 French Open

Adidas‘ controversial dazzle camouflage pattern, better known as the zebra print, unarguably marked this year’s French Open. Some love it, some hate it, but everyone has been talking about it. Every detail on Ana is coordinated with her Adidas Roland Garros Y-3 On Court Dress, from her visor and wristbands to her Adizero Y-3 shoes, whose red detail is matching the dress’ faux suspenders.

Ana Ivanovic - 2016 French Open

Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber also sported the limited-edition shoes, whose stripes, just as those of the clothes, create a sense of movement, while the 2014 French Open finalist and the reigning Australian Open champion went for separates from Yohji Yamamoto‘s collection: a tank with bonded straps that shape a “Y” at the back and a black layered skirt with exposed waistband. For cold weather, the designer created a 3/4 sleeve top, similar to the tank.

Simona Halep Angelique Kerber - 2016 French Open

I love Adidas’ Roland Garros collection, especially the dress, although it was too much when four zebra-clad players were on the court at the same time.

Garbine Muguruza - 2016 French Open

With Caroline Wozniacki nursing her ankle injury, we didn’t get to see in action the Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Dress, but Garbine Muguruza is giving a lot of exposure to the lovely Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Tank with subtle floral colorblocks and the matching fresh yellow skirt with laser cut hexagon pattern. The Spaniard’s Stella Barricade shoes are designed to give players explosive comfort in a supremely stable package.

Serena Williams - 2016 French Open

Serena Williams NikeCourt Premier Dress originally has a mesh section that extends from mid back all the way to the waist, but the world number one decided to spice things up a notch, removing the mesh and going for an edgy cutout. My favorite feature of this dress are the extended pleats on the back and overall its refreshing approach to traditional design.

Serena Williams - 2016 French Open

To celebrate the American’s ever-blossoming career, Nike adorned the blue Flare shoes with colorful roses on the swoosh. Aggressive movers such as the 21-time Grand Slam champion are having their ankles safely wrapped in this high-top model.

Eugenie Bouchard - 2016 French Open

Eugenie Bouchard‘s NikeCourt Premier Advantage Dress is probably my favorite design of the tournament. I love the idea of a reinvented polo dress, with super cute mock collar and discreet stripes that extend to the racerback. Two-buttom placket is cute and offers a personalized fit, while rounded side vents at hem also add a stylish touch and increase the range of motion.

Bouchard tennis shoes 1

The Canadian rocked color-coordinated unisex Air Zoom Ultrafly shoes from Nike.

Azarenka Keys Kvitova - 2016 French Open

Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova looked similar to Genie, only that they went for a hyper cobalt sleeveless polo + pleated skirt combo.

Victoria Azarenka‘s Roland Garros was cut short due to a knee injury during the cold first round, but her blue Nike Flare shoes are sticking in our memory.

Victoria Azarenka - 2016 French Open

And talking about Nike’s athletes, I have to mention that Maria Sarapova also had her dedicated Roland Garros dress, but for the well-known reasons the Russian has been forced to skip this year’s event.

Agnieszka Radwanska - 2016 French Open

Agnieszka Radwanska‘s coral Lotto Lacy Dress is the most feminine in the WTA crowd, with its lacy perforated fabric and girly ruffles. The Lotto Stratosphere shoes feature the latest innovations in the company’s technologies, but nothing could help the Pole deal with the soaked balls and wet Court Suzanne Lenglen on the rainy Tuesday.

Venus Williams - 2016 French Open

Venus Williams is the uncrowned tennis queen of prints and the abstract pattern of her EleVen Geo Swirl Dress features a nice shade of orange that matches the courts at Roland Garros. Playing doubles with her little sister Serena, Venus showcased separates from her new collection, the EleVen Geo Swirl Print Love Tank featuring contrast trim on tank straps, and the grey EleVen Geo Swirl Fly Skirt characterized by a side wrap and brushstroke detailed fabric.

Irina-Camelia Begu and Jankovic

I’m glad that of the four dresses designed by Marion Bartoli for Fila, Jelena Jankovic chose my favorite one, the lavender Love Fila Paris Dress with the Eiffel Tower incorporated in the unique print, but the former world No.1 was a first-round casualty, and we saw very little of the fashion-forward design. However, other players, including Irina-Camelia Begu, wore the brand’s Gingham collection, especially impressing with the Fila Spring Gingham Racerback Dress which seduces with the way it merges a very classic approach to tennis fashion and visually-enhancing elements such as the figure-slimming piping and tiny pleats at bottom hem.

Dominika Cibulkova and Alize Cornet

Dominika Cibulkova and Alize Cornet wore the navy version of the Lacoste Spring Tank Dress, which is saved from being too plain by an upper-back mesh insert atop of a half-moon cutout.

Sloane Stephens - 2016 French Open

Sloane Stephens put her crop-top dresses in the back of the wardrobe and returned to classic designs with this blue Under Armour piece.

Heather Watson Nicole Gibbs - 2016 French Open

Heather Watson and Nicole Gibbs were among best-dressed WTA players at this year’s Roland Garros, wearing a classic navy New Balance Spring Tournament Dress refreshed by on-trend features such as spaghetti straps, stripes and back mesh panel unique for its houndstooth pattern.

New Balance shoes

To bring some color to the entire look, Watson and Gibbs sported contrast accessories, as well as the 996v2 shoes in purple and teal.

Barbora Strycova - 2016 French Open -D3M_3808-2

Representing Sergio Tacchini, Barbora Strycova sported the white version of the Phoenix Dress with red contrast dots at chest and a red side panel at right hip. Ellesse‘s Monica Puig was her standard self in this classic navy dress, whose only details are thin white lines and vibrant company logo.

Shelby Rogers - 2016 French Open

American Shelby Rogers made her first Grand Slam quarterfinals in the Asics Spring Athlete Tank, unique for its sharp-shaped racerback with an arrow detail, and the ink blue Asics Spring Athlete Styled Skirt featuring a wrap at front hem.

Tatiana Maria - 2016 French Open

Sofibella-clad Tatjana Maria was all about shades of blue, with nice orange company logo detail.

Viktorija Golubic - 2016 French Open

Victoria Golubic sported my favorite Tonic by Martina Hingis dress, a white item with pixel print highlights.

Svetlana Kuznetsova Alize Lim - 2016 French Open

Svetlana Kuznetsova made no surprises with her Qiaodan apparel, while wildcard Alize Lim played just one singles match at the tournament, but her Le Coq Sportif jumpsuit may well end up as a milestone in tennis fashion history.

Ladies’ fashion at the 2016 French Open has been versatile and fun, but given the weather this fortnight, I think that tennis clothing companies can enrich their collections with fashionable raincoats! Just an idea! 😉

What are your fashion favorites from Roland Garros 2016?

12 COMMENTS

  1. It was so nice to see something different from Nike with serena, although the edgy designs have been at time phenomenal (e.g Australian open 2015) it was amazing to see a refreshing take on traditional with some modern features. Serena looks amazing in the dress. What do you think was the best dress of the tournament?

  2. Roberto, although not a very memorable design, I love Genie’s dress. I also admire the zebra prints, even though they turned out to be quite controversial.

  3. As I’ve said before, the zebra is too fussy, and more than one zebra on court at the same time – ghastly. For some reason the tops look even worse than the dress. Though I do like the red braces at the back. Don’t like the Nike stuff either – boring colour and unflattering neckline. Or the Marion Bartoli dresses – badly cut and look like cheap Versace from the 1980s. My favourites: Venus, Barbora (I like the asymmetrical red detail), Golubic’s Martina dress and Begu’s Fila. Lacoste and Asics OK but time they did something different.

  4. For me Venus outfit is one of the best outfits she has designed.Both the dress and separates, the colours she used every this she used was perfection. My personal fav one is definitely Ana’s dress. I really love the direction Adidas is going this year (although i am part of very very minor group) . I didn’t like the separates so much because of the straps. As for Nike I love the idea of mixing two classic looks with modern touch however for me , both of them look very close to being similar. They have only two designs + vika (whose dress Btw was even promoted? I have no idea what she was wearing) unlike their previous years. I was gonna ask you were going to add hingis designs there were some gems coming out of that collection although I prefer Martina being in the article 😛 I like muguruza’s outfit as well it has refreshing colors ( although I wonder why most of stella’s collection have dull/depressing colors 🙂 ) I think i’m starting to look forward for bothSergio Tacchini, Ellesse designs. As for Fila, I always look forward for their designs and the one pliskova wore was descent but marions designs look more like off-court dresses than a tennis outfit to me not really a fan
    As for disappointments LACOSTE 🙁 OMG WE GET IT IT’S YOUR FAV AND PROBABLY ONLY DESIGN YOU HAVE CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ON

  5. I forgot to mention how much I appreciate the red Y strap on Anas dress without it ,the dress would’ve probably ended up being a disappointment. Just the touch they needed to make that dress spectacular 😛

  6. My favorite was definitely Serena, the cut out at the back really made safe short sleeve dress into daring l,bold n edgy…
    My least favorite was Muguruza, the color, the design was recycle of typical Stella barricade…
    I really think barricade dress should be wornedby Muguruza, not Wozniacki. Muguruza is far more consistant player compare to Woz, therefore she deserved to be the main player to wear the designs..
    I think adidas Stella and Barricade should have spearate designs like they used to back then… Barricade line for women was far more interesting before 2013…

  7. I agree with Ian, that Garbi should be getting some of the top of the line Adidas Stella McCartney dresses..especially if she wins the final. The Adidas Y-3 “zebra” print/ dazzle camouflage pattern kind of grew on me. And of all the players who wore it , both men and women, my man Dominic Thiem was the last one standing, until Novak took him “to the woodshed” in the semifinals. So Marija, will Djokovic finally get the one Grand slam title that has eluded him?

  8. CLT, unlike you, I really like the Nike neckline. Barbora’s dress is among my least favorite ones.

    Sru, Nike is no longer promoting Vika’s kits ahead of Grand Slams. This time they only featured Serena and Madison in their official press release. As for Tonic, I saw Golubic in my favorite Tonic dress, so I featured her. Next time I can include Martina 🙂

    Ian, I actually love the “typical Stella Barricade”, as you called it. I like the subtle colors, color-blocks and a nice touch of a floral print. I wouldn’t change anything in her current collection.

    Jim, oh sorry for my late comment. I’m so happy for Djokovic, he’s a true man of virtues, I admire him in every way and I hope he’ll become the greatest player of all time 🙂

  9. It was so decent to see something other than what’s expected from Nike with serena, in spite of the fact that the tense outlines have been at time remarkable (e.g Australian open 2015) it was astounding to see an invigorating thought on customary with some cutting edge highlights. Serena looks astounding in the dress. What do you believe was the best dress of the competition

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