style over skill

there's been this sudden hype over tennis in recent years. no, it's not just cause a six foot tall seventeen year old girl won wimbledon, and it's not because there's a man who defies the normal laws of tennis and works magic out on court. no, it's because it's no longer just about the speed and the skill. it's about the brand of your shoes, the colour of your wristbands, and the style of your dress.

the latest thing people have been picking on is maria sharapova's nightie, which she sports at this year's australian open. i forget who designs it. personally, i didn't notice it looked like a nightie until my sister pointed it out. but everyone's saying it, apparently. maria kirilenko looked dressed for a party in her outfit, frillier than sharapova's costume.

maria kirilenko

and what about serena williams' well talked-about boots at the 2004 US open? if any player deserves to be mentioned in all time most innovative tennis attire, it's this woman. see for yourself.


i do have to say though, it's an improvement over the attire a century ago.

yep, that's may sutton in all her tennis glory, 1905. she then went on to shock the world by showing up for a match wearing one of her father's oversized t-shirts, saying it allowed her "more freedom to move".

and check out suzanne lenglon in this outfit. it was a scandal, it was. her showing up in a SHORT SKIRT like that, not to mention, she wasn't wearing a cap. the people of 1922 sure were conservative.


she looks like a nun next to daniela hantuchova though.


and this frenzy doesn't just extend to the female players. the men are affected too. rafael nadal's three-quarter length shorts spent their week at number one for most used conversation starter at one point. too bad the trend wasn't picked up.


well, at least guys nowadays dont dress like THIS.


and gone are the days of the all white shirt, shoes, pants, skirt, socks, headband, wristband, hat etc etc. hardly any player wears an all white outfit at tournaments nowadays, wimbledon being the exception. they insist on the traditional virginal white for all outfits. but STILL, some players manage to find a loophole.


i now leave you with MORE PICTURES. well, ones that i like. i'm guilty of paying more attention to the way a picture is taken more than the subject itself.

andy roddick celebrating


daniela hantuchova celebrating


maria sharapova in her nightie. great perspective!!! the photo, i mean.


fans of marcos baghdatis. awesome player. AWESOME PHOTO.

many thanks to the websites that provided me with these photos. i'm not pro enough to take any of them.