Australian Open 2017: The Best and Worst Dressed in Melbourne
The 2017 Australian Open is the first major tournament in the tennis season and players aren't the only ones competing to finish on top. A fierce battle is taking place among the companies that make tennis apparel.
Like with the players, there are perennial powerhouses Nike and Adidas, as well as stalwart veterans Lacoste and Ellesse. Lotto, New Balance, Fila, Yonex, Asics, Under Armour and Uniqlo are among the other competitors hoping to make a splash at the first Grand Slam.
The players represent these brands by modeling fashion, form and functionality in real time.
So which players came out on top? And what about those who flopped?
Serena Williams and Roger Federer always lead the way for the Nike Court collection. This year, Nike went with bold geometric patterns inspired by the shadows created on tennis courts.
Williams, Eugenie Bouchard, Nick Kyrgios and Federer wore the look. Advantage goes to the Nike women who get more options in terms of ensemble pieces. Unfortunately, the pattern lost something in the designs for the men. The usually well-put-together Federer looked less polished in these frocks.
Meanwhile, Adidas offered a mix of neon bright colors, but none of its kits stood out as in year's past. Even Carolina Wozniacki's Stella McCartney dress was underwhelming compared to the bold collection from Nike or the classic elegance from Lacoste and Ellesse.
The following are the best and worst dressed at the Australian Open.
Honorable Mention Best/Worst: Eugenie Bouchard
1 of 10
Rarely does an outfit land in the best and worst dressed category. However, Eugenie Bouchard's kit did just that.
The outfit is edgy, flirty and quite pretty, when Bouchard is standing still. It reflects her youthful, glamour girl image. However, when in movement, the kit exposes its ill-fit fabric and rides up and down the body. Bouchard was constantly adjusting her skirt between serves.
Worst: Dusan Lajovic
2 of 10
Fila has some hits and misses at this year's Australian Open. Jelena Jankovic's throwback dress was one of the hits. This maze-like mess on Dusan Lajovic was a miss.
It's from Fila's Zephyr collection, a shoutout to the audacious 1980s. Similar to the geometric patterns on the Nike men's kits, this outfit is too busy, especially with the little flashes of color on the shirt and shorts.
Best: Dominika Cibulkova
3 of 10
Dominika Cibulkova has worn the same basic style form-fitting Lacoste dress at so many events, you had to wonder if it were a uniform.
This year, she tried something different, and it's a winner. The Lacoste spring dress features a racerback with keyhole cutout, colorblocking and lovely pleated skirt. It's sporty and flirty, yet elegant and well-tailored.
Best: Andreas Seppi
4 of 10
Andreas Seppi pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament when he came back from two sets down to defeat Australian Nick Kyrgios in the second round. He also scored big with this look from Fila.
Paired with windowpane shorts, this Fila outfit is from its Heritage collection, a tribute to the 1970s when Bjorn Borg wore the brand.
Seppi rocks this kit in bold red and blue. His matching wrist bands and bracelet complement the Fila logo.
Worst: Anastasija Sevastova
5 of 10
Something went terribly wrong at conception with this look from Yonex Anastasija Sevastova wore. Other players, including Belinda Bencic wore what Yonex calls the Melbourne tank.
Why Sevastova paired that tank with these shorts (pictured above) is unclear.
Yonex is known for coming up with notable, if not suitable, outfits. They were behind Stan Wawrinka's plaid shorts at the 2015 French Open.
Best: Venus Williams
6 of 10
Venus Williams wore a variety of looks from her Eleven Thika collection. Among the best is this competitor dress with a thick solid stripe at the waistline. It's so fun and pretty and would look great on most body types. The matching visor completes the look.
Worst: Bethanie Mattek-Sands
7 of 10
Unlike the dress worn by Venus, Bethanie Mattek-Sands' bold flowers on stripes top with pleated skirt and her trademarked baseball socks is a look that would look horrible on most body types. Yes, Mattek-Sands is a regular on the worst dressed list, but this was dreadful even by her standards.
Best: Heather Watson
8 of 10
Heather Watson's New Balance outfit had to be one of the most colorful and prettiest kits at the tournament. The bold complementary colors of purple and yellow create such energy. The Yarra Tank matched with the New Balance tournament skirt is sporty and girlie.
Worst: Ellen Perez
9 of 10
The Nike outfit Ellen Perez wore was part of the Maria collection designed for Maria Sharapova who of course couldn't make the event for obvious reasons.
As separates, the tank and pleated skirt aren't that bad. But they look awful in this combination. That same skirt with a fitted tank could be a winning combination.
Best: Serena Williams
10 of 10
Serena's Nike Court Premier Power Dress is one of the best outfits she's worn in the past five years. It can be worn as a short dress or a tunic over stretch pants.
The compression sleeves, now Serena's signature look, add superwoman swagger. It looks as comfortable as it is fashionable.
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