Aryna Sabalenka's bold fishnet US Open outfit gets roasted by tennis fans originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Aryna Sabalenka's tennis skills weren't the only thing fans were talking about during the U.S. Open on Tuesday.
Her fashion choice also got plenty of attention.
The world's top-ranked women's tennis player stepped onto the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium alongside Novak Djokovic for a mixed doubles match against Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten wearing one of Nike's more daring looks for the tournament.
Think fishnet. Or mesh, depending on who you ask.
Sabalenka wore a black, see-through dress over a red sports bra and shorts. And apparently that still wasn't enough to make the look stand out.
The female tennis star added even more flash to the look with custom Material Good jewelry designed specifically for the U.S. Open, including an 83-carat necklace, matching bracelet, and oversized drop earrings.
The jewelry was designed to match Sabalenka's personality and the energy of New York.
According to the designer, they wanted the set to feel "big" and "bold," while still being lightweight enough for Sabalenka actually to play in.
“We really work in tandem with her to create something very specific for her playing on the court and her vibe and style,” Teresa Panico, the jewelry house’s Director of Marketing, told "Town and Country Magazine."
“She’s very adventurous with her jewelry, with her style in general, but she’s not scared of color and big pieces so we can get really fun and playful with it," Panico added.
Aryna Sabalenka’s US open kit + diamond necklace
rate it out of 10 ? 🇧🇾👀 pic.twitter.com/7zvKtGK8uU
Despite all the effort that went into the bold on-court look, social media critics quickly went after it. And they went after it hard.
"How about that - Sabalenka leading the parade of streetwalker chic at the US Open with fishnet over shorts and a sports bra. Why does New York bring out all the trashy-ness," one person commented on X.
"This is the biggest piece of trash kit I've ever seen in my life," another said.
"I'm sorry but this just can not be tennis wear… I’m embarrassed for her….and what’s with the heavy inappropriate jewelry? New stylist needed pronto," someone else wrote.
"It's horrible. She looks like a trash bag," another person commented.
Haters are inevitably gonna hate.
The good news is, the comments probably didn't hurt Sabalenka's feelings too much, as she said before the match that she knew the outfit wouldn't be for everyone.
"I love my outfit. If someone doesn't like it, it's okay. You cannot impress everyone with your outfits," Sabalenka said earlier this month. "That's why I like fashion because there is room for whatever, basically."
"I love my outfit. If someone doesn't like it, it's okay. You cannot impress everyone with your outfits. That's why I like fashion because there is room for whatever, basically."
Aryna Sabalenka defended her viral basketball-inspired US Open kit 🏀 pic.twitter.com/DCbZrrMT7H
While she may have been prepared to deal with the internet fashion critics, the match itself didn't quite go as planned.
Sabalenka and Djokovic won the first set 4-1, Siniakova and Patten rallied to take the second 4-2 before dominating the match tiebreak, 10-2.
The loss knocked the top-seeded duo out of the first round of the U.S. Open mixed doubles match.
At least Sabalenka gave fans something to talk about before heading off the court.
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