Top five best outfits in French Open history

Published at :June 6, 2024 at 12:37 PM

Modified at :June 30, 2024 at 7:29 AM

(Courtesy : @CenCom/X)

Roland Garros has witnessed players don many attention-grabbing outfits over the years.

The French Open, being one of the four major tournaments in tennis, gives players a chance at sporting glory, along with an opportunity to include their names in the record books. The clay court event also gives sportswear brands and player fashion to take center stage at a time when the sporting world’s eyes are on Paris and Roland Garros.

Players look to be their fashionable best and make a statement while maintaining a performance edge simultaneously.

Lest we forget, it was here that French player Rene Lacoste’s famous crocodile logo made its on-court debut.

Fashion aces or faulty choices, the outfits worn by these players on the iconic courts of Roland Garros did generate a fair amount of buzz.

let us take a look at some of the outfits in question.

Andre Agassi

For the man from Las Vegas, the image was everything. And he proved it at the 1990 French Open when he turned up with a mullet, faded black shorts, and what he called ‘Hot Lava’ tights under his shorts. Completing the ensemble was a pair of brightly colored Air Tech Challenge 2 tennis shoes from Nike that quickly make a street-style staple.

Agassi’s outfit drew the attention of the then International Tennis Federation President Phillipe Chatrier, who said something would have to be done if players would not draw a line with their attire.

All credit goes to the showman from Las Vegas, who undoubtedly influenced the tennis world today with its splashes of colours in pro tennis outside the still all-white world of Wimbledon.

Serena Williams

The return of Serena Williams to the 2018 French Open after giving birth to her first child, her choice of outfit generated more attention than her on-court performance. Her choice of attire was the now iconic all-black catsuit from Nike.

Williams had to retire the outfit after the French Tennis Federation announced it would implement a dress code for future tournament editions.

Suzanne Lenglen

Suzanne Lenglen has one of the major courts in Roland Garros named after her. That is not the rebellious Lenglen’s only claim to fame. The Frenchwoman made quite the impression with her choice of wardrobe in the male-dominated sport of tennis.

Lenglen did not hold back in her matches and played a fair number of acrobatic shots, all of them in an outfit more suitable for tea. She was the first female tennis player to unveil her ankles and bare arms on the tennis court – an outrageous act in the 1920s when she was an active player.

Venus Williams

In 2010, the elder of the Williams sisters walked onto the court at Roland Garros in an outfit inspired by a corset-style design. It was a lace outfit with red and black ruffles, complimented by skin-coloured biker shorts.

The outfit raised more than just eyebrows – it also generated wolf whistles and was polarising, to say the least. It also did bring the spotlight on Roland Garros and the women’s game that has been long accustomed to playing second fiddle to men’s tour.

In a way, the outfit Venus Williams wore was a nod to Suzanne Lenglen as she did so on the court named after the French tennis player. Lenglen, who in her playing days, ruffled a few feathers of her own with her choice of outfits.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, who has been with Lacoste since 2017, wore a clay-themed style apt for the clay courts of Paris in shades of oranges and reds in 2022. The design drew inspiration from the speed of tennis balls, featuring the same tennis ball motif he wore at the Australian Open the same year.

The Lacoste brand and its famous Crocodile logo have long been synonymous with French tennis and a sporty style with a relaxed vibe.

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