Fashion disasters for top tennis players at Australian Open

(From L) Jannik Sinner (L), Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka in outfits designed by Nike at the 2026 Australian Open. Photo by WTA

"The best thing that Nike has done so far in tennis is create this ludicrous outfit for Jannik Sinner!" tennis expert Pavvy G sarcastically wrote on X after seeing the Italian player enter the court in his new all-yellow outfit with brown patches.

The 24-year-old also wore yellow Nike shoes and black socks. Sinner wore this outfit during a practice match against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday, a match he won 6-4, 4-6, 10-4 in about two hours. Tennis fans compared his outfit to a sunflower and a mustard bottle.

After the match, the world number two himself admitted that his outfit looked ridiculous.

"Next year I have a little bit more of a say in the colors," Sinner said, as quoted by Daily Mail. "But I'm very, very happy to wear this outfit. I know there is a lot of process behind this. This is the day session outfit. I have a night session outfit. I hope I can wear both. It means I will go further in the tournament."

Sinner is scheduled to play his opening match against French player Hugo Gaston on Jan. 20. He is aiming for a hat-trick of Australian Open titles after winning the tournament for two consecutive years. According to the draw, Sinner could face Karen Khachanov in the fourth round, Ben Shelton or Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals, and Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

"It's going to be very difficult to get back there, but I'm going to put myself in the game," Sinner said about his chances. "I know that I've practiced very well. The off-season was great. Physically, I feel good. You start the season by having some doubts, which is normal - but at the same time, there's also a lot of confidence because of certain results I've had in the past."

The opening day of the 2026 Australian Open saw a smooth start for the two top seeds, Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz, as both went unbeaten against Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Adam Walton respectively. However, they also drew criticism for their flamboyant Nike outfits. Alcaraz was criticized for resembling a Mountain Dew bottle, while Sabalenka was deemed to have the worst dress in the tournament's history.

Melbourne Park set a record by welcoming over 100,000 spectators on the day that two legends, Rod Laver and Roger Federer, were present on the court to watch the matches.