Tennis dresses at the 2017 French Open: Stripes, paint splashes, tulle, diamonds, and other trends

WTA fashion is at its peak during Grand Slams and now it’s time to have a thorough look at all the styles that hit the clay courts in Paris. Last year at the French Open will always be remembered by the surge of zebras, while this season the situation is much more balanced. I’m making the most comprehensive overview you can find, ranging from sports apparel leaders such as Nike and Adidas to those that have just started building their reputation in the world of tennis fashion, like the budding Bidi Badu. Enjoy the latest women’s tennis styles and tell me your favorites in the comments below!

World number one Angelique Kerber had a claycourt season to forget, wrapping it up with a first-round loss at Roland Garros, but luckily other players are also sporting her stunning Adidas outfit, so it is getting the exposure it deserves. The German’s Adidas Roland Garros Tank and Adidas Roland Garros Skirt are a perfect blend of classic sportiness and trendy features, like thick, multi-color elastic tank straps and asymmetrical bi-tonal pleats in a contrast color. Kerber was equipped with Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2 shoes, featuring added protection in high wear areas, but this time nothing could stop her feet from walking through the exit door.

France’s Kristina Mladenovic showcases the Adidas Roland Garros Court Dress, another beauty from the new collection accentuated by bold emblems. Of course, Adidas also created matching wristbands, tiebands and a superlight hat.

Garbine Muguruza will impress us if she defends her title in Paris, but the Spaniard has already wowed us with her Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Dress 2, whose body-hugging top is nicely balanced by the flair of feminine pleated skirt. Garbi’s red Stella Barricade 2017 shoes give just the right pop of color to the black-and-white look that I presented in more detail in my Stella McCartney Roland Garros fashion preview.

Caroline Wozniacki‘s Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Sleeveless Polo nurtures a refreshed traditional look with its updated pique fabric, generous front slits and orange accents at zipper. The white colorblock at the hem of the lightweight knit Adidas Summer Stella McCartney Pleated Skirt nicely balances the all-red outfit. The Dane’s Adidas Stella Barricade BOOST 2017 shoes in white/black/grey with red laces, which I presented in my Roland Garros fashion preview, perfectly match the clothes and pride themselves on the most responsive cushioning to date.

Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova, Madison Keys, and many others wear Nike’s dirt-inspired new kit consisting of the paramount blue Nike Summer Slam Premier Tank, featuring a mock neck, wide armholes and circular knit fabric for extra breathability, and the Nike Summer Power Spin Premier Skirt, recognizable for its white paint-splashes at sides. Footwear that supports Nike’s stars on the clay of Paris is the Nike Air Zoom Ultra React, built with the company’s Flywire cable technology that provides a personalized fit and keeps feet locked.

The separates also exist in black and we could see that combo on Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. The black option matches the black and ghost green Ultra React shoes even better.

Despite not being able to compete at the 2017 French Open, Nike’s most famous players Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova also have their dedicated dresses for the tournament. The pregnant Serena, who has come to the tournament to watch her sister Venus, would have worn the Nike Summer Power Premier Dress from the paint-stain line, while the punished Sharapova has the new Nike Summer Maria Premier Tunic waiting her in wardrobe.

There are no surprises from Venus Williams, as the American’s EleVen Diamond Clarity Dress is yet another printed design and the cut is the same as her 2016 Casablanca Love Letter Dress.

World No.3 Karolina Pliskova is UV protected in the striped Fila Spring Heritage II Sleeveless Polo that goes with the Fila Spring Heritage II Skirt, whose green elastic waistband matches the same colorblock at the top’s bust.

As I told you in the announcement of Fila’s French Open fashions, the company prepared two lines for the claycourt Grand Slam and besides the already-discussed Heritage line, we also have the Tropical Slice collection, as seen here on Yaroslava Shvedova and Timea Babos. Unlike Heritage clothes which cater to tradition, the Tropical Slice plays with plenty of vibrant colors and edgy design details, such as the petals of the Fila Tropical Car Wash Skirt.

Lacoste‘s Dominika Cibulkova and Alize Cornet both decided to wear the Spring Player Dress, even though before the tournament Cornet said that her clothes of choice would be the Lacoste Spring Top and Lacoste Spring Pleated Skirt. Also, both the Slovak and the Frenchwoman paired their orange-accented dress with the speed-oriented Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour shoes.

Soon-to-be-married Agnieszka Radwanska has finally brought back the edge with her Lotto Camoflower Dress. Some people are not fans of this camouflage print and layered ruffles, but I love seeing bold designs at Grand Slams and I’m glad that Aga is taking fashion risks again!

Alize Lim now endorses Diadora, but I have to say I preferred her with Le Coq Sportif, when she bravely stood out with their extraordinary jumpsuits.

Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who upset the top-seeded Kerber in the first round, showcased the Sergio Tacchini Taped Tank Top, inspired by the colorful therapeutic tape (!) used by athletes, and its coordinating skirt.

How lovely is Sorana Cirstea‘s fluffy New Balance Spring Heath Skirt! Extra femininity and breathability are provided by the perforated elastic waistband and pleated stretch tulle mesh.

Johanna Konte wore the Asics Spring Club Dress in diva pink with indigo blue side panels, a no-frills design with mesh opening at chest and keyhole at back.

Anastasija Sevastova‘s good results are increasing the visibility of Yonex, while this fortnight the Latvian is rocking the 2017 Paris Tank and the 2017 Paris Skirt. The mesh trim around the hem of Sevastova’s skirt reminds me of Agnieszka Radwanska’s 2015 Lotto fashion, which was, among other things, characterized by laser-cut hems.

If you’ve never heard of Bidi Badu, you will definitely remember that name now, as that is the company behind this beautiful Mona Barthel‘s Ambar Tech Dress by Kilian Kerner. I really like the black wrap design and how the dress matches pure pink and sweet orange colors. The white all-around pleated skirt is apparently a must-have this season, while coverage is provided by long orange shorts.

In case you didn’t know, world No.18 and last year’s semifinalist Kiki Bertens is wearing Mizuno tennis clothing, while at Roland Garros  she wore simple red separates, just as during her run to the Nürnberg title recently.

Ellesse and Monica Puig are a perfect match and even though we’ve seen the Olympic gold medalist in similar designs a thousand times, I wouldn’t change anything about her look.

Bethanie Mattek Sands attracted attention with her cherry shirt. Don’t be surprised if the American goes for pizzas soon, as she asked her sponsor Tennis Warehouse to make a pizza-printed outfit for her!

Svetlana Kuznetsova‘s Qiaodan outfit is practically the same as the one the Russian wore at the 2017 Australian Open.

I’ve also created a VIDEO OVERVIEW 😉

Now that I’ve given you a complete presentation of WTA fashion at the 2017 French Open, you can give me an informed input about your favorite styles. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! My No.1 favorite is the green and white Adidas line, because it has just the right amount of sporty features, feminine features and trendy accents, while of course offering top performance. Overall, there are no fashion disasters at this year’s Roland Garros. I’d say we’re enjoying a rich and beautiful fortnight in Paris when it comes to tennis fashion.