A distinguished wardrobe has always had its place on the tennis court. Long considered a pastime of the elite, the refined sport has been encouraging smart dress since the turn of the 20th century.

But while tradition mandates all-white ensembles, the game’s gutsiest players have since experimented with a rainbow of uniforms, accessories, and even hairstyles.

Naturally, their taste for forward-thinking fashion extends beyond the confines of the court as well and also their sartorial choices regularly make headlines.

So, let's take a look at the top 10 most-talked-about Tennis dresses worn by female players.

Fashion in Tennis dress

Fashion in Tennis dress | sportzpoint.com — Fashion in Tennis plays a major role.

From the sport’s earliest days to its top moments of controversy, tennis has long been influenced by fashion and has influenced it in turn.

As the sport evolved, a more uniform but still formal style of dress started to form for women.

The tennis look drew from lawn dresses, which were often worn to garden parties, racecourses and other outdoor leisure events. These all-white, cotton and linen garments featured lace inserts and elaborate embroidery patterns.

They eventually transitioned from being worn by spectators to being worn by players on the court. The prominence of these dresses shows that the focus of tennis attire was still on fashion, not performance.

Tennis Dress | Historical Overview

Historical overview of Tennis Dress | sportzpoint.com

One of the earliest moments that this form-over-function mindset was challenged was at the 1887 Wimbledon Championship.

Tennis star Charlotte Dod, known as Lottie, was only 15 the first time she won a Wimbledon title; because of her youth, she was able to wear clothing that was not as restricting.

Ditching the tight corset, full-length dress and multi-layered gown, she wore calf-length garb more similar to a school uniform than a tennis uniform at the time.

Many older opponents argued that her attire gave her an unfair advantage by allowing her to move in ways and at speeds that the traditional tennis gear could not, bringing to the sport, for one of the first times, the question of designing garments for mobility and agility.

Suzanne Lenglen, center of Wimbledon 1919 fashion scandal

This concept was furthered by the iconoclastic Suzanne Lenglen, who was the center of another Wimbledon fashion scandal in 1919 when she wore a calf-length skirt, short sleeves and a floppy hat.

Despite the backlash from the press, which called her indecent, Lenglen went on to win the tournament.

She often wore a tulle wrap around her head while playing, called the “Lenglen bandeau,” which caught on to become a defining look of the Roaring Twenties.

Most-talked About Female Tennis dress | Top 10 List

1. Naomi Osaka’s girlhood, brat-inspired look (US Open 2024)

Naomi Osaka made a grand return to the US Open 2024 after a two-year break, leaving the internet obsessed with her.

Osaka entered the court to play her match against Jelena Ostapenko in a neon green ruffled dress.

The dress was styled with a detachable matching tulle-adorned mini skirt, a white cropped jacket adorned with a large green bow, and bow-decked accessories - including sneakers and headphones.

Designed by Yoon in collaboration with Nike, the dress was a nod to Naomi and the designer's love for Japan and Japanese subcultures.

Read Also | 20 Highest-paid female athletes in the world: PV Sindhu only Indian on the list

2. Serena Williams’ diamond-encrusted Nike outfit (US Open 2022)

Tennis star Serena Williams, who took retirement from the sport in 2022, made a remarkable appearance for her match with Danka Kovinic in the first round of the women's singles event at the US Open 2022.

The star not only won the game but also left her fans impressed with her sartorial choice of attire.

Known to make heads turn with her on-court outfit choices, Serena once again proved her fashion prowess.

Serena turned up wearing a pair of diamond-encrusted Nike shoes, featuring solid gold lace deubre that read mama and queen with a black ensemble.

The black outfit that she wore featured an embellished bodice and sheer sleeves, and flowed into a voluminous skirt.

The tennis star herself worked with the Nike team and took to Instagram to share the details.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (Women's tennis)

3. Emma Raducanu’s Tiffany & Co. Jewellery (Wimbledon 2022)

British tennis star Emma Raducanu made her Wimbledon debut in 2022 wearing approximately $37,000 worth of diamond and pearl jewelry.

The diamond teardrop earrings from the Tiffany Victoria collection, which are priced at $9,300, feature a 11-12 mm pearl suspended from a diamond flower.

The matching diamond and pearl pendant from the same collection is worth $4,800.

Raducanu paired the two pieces with an 18k gold bangle, half set with round diamonds and hinged with a "T" motif at the center.

The gold bracelet worn by Raducanu is priced at $23,000, however Tiffany & Co offers both a rose gold and silver bracelet with a slimmer band for $11,500.

4. Serena Williams’ Wakanda-inspired catsuit (French Open 2018)

Serena Williams stunned fans at the 2018 French Open when she stepped onto the court in a black Nike catsuit, a nod, at least in part, to Black Panther.

Black with a red waistband, the full-length bodysuit looked striking on Williams, a new mom; she was likened to a superhero in the ensemble.

But the catsuit won’t be welcome at Roland Garros.

While fans and the media praised the look, French Tennis Federation banned catsuits and changed the tournament’s dress code in direct response to the look.

Serena's suit was more than a fashion moment, though. It had potentially live-saving functionality.

As a full-body compression garment, it was made to help with blood clots, a health issue she’s dealt with frequently in the past.

Read Also | Mother's Day 2024 | Women In Sports: Female Athletes and Motherhood

5. Anne White’s spandex catsuit (Wimbledon 1985)

The former American tennis star Anne White caused uproar at Wimbledon in 1985 with her choice of clothing, leaving her opponent and officials furious.

Anne was warming up in a tracksuit for her match against fifth seed Pam Shriver in the first round when she removed her suit and revealed an all-white lycra unitard.

Being 1985, it created quite a stir among the crowd and photographers. Play was stopped for the day due to bad lighting with the match tied at one set all.

The umpire Alan Mills instructed Anne to wear a more appropriate outfit the next day; she did, and lost the third set.

She was the first tennis star to be criticised for wearing a catsuit on-court.

Also Read: 20 Highest-paid female athletes in the world: PV Sindhu only Indian on the list

6. Venus Williams’ Moulin Rouge-inspired look (French Open 2010)

Venus Williams’ Moulin Rouge-inspired tennis dress | sportzpoint.com

Every time Venus Williams steps onto a court, spectators are eager to see what outfit she's wearing.

At Roland Garros 2010, Venus once again surprised the crowd when she unzipped her jacket to reveal an anything but ordinary on-court get up.

When the jacket came off, Venus wasn’t just a tennis player, she had the look of a 19th-century can-can dancer.

As she slid into forehands and loaded her legs, flying up to smash serves, Venus also had the movement of an iconic Parisian dancer.

The black and red outfit mostly consisted of lace, with the upper half a tight corset and the bottom flaring out into a flowy tutu.

Coffee-colored spandex, perfectly matching her skin-tone, rounded out the number.

This was no mistake, as Venus designed the Eleven by Venus dress herself, and every inch of this stunning dress was intentional.

7. Bethanie Mattek-Sands’ Lady Gaga look (Wimbledon 2011)

Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is famous for her unusual fashion taste, decked out in a Lady Gaga-inspired jacket festooned with real tennis balls before her first round defeat in the Wimbledon 2011.

Although the All England Club usually demands a conservative, predominantly white outfit, Mattek-Sands lived up to her flamboyant reputation.

She wore a white jacket covered in tassel and cut-in-half tennis balls, knee-high socks and a top which had one sleeve missing to show off her tattoos.

The American's lengthy list of fashion crimes also includes being fined for wearing a striped cowboy hat during a match at the 2005 US Open and donning a leopard-print outfit at the same event.

8. Serena Williams' silver stud black dress (US Open 2004)

Top 10 most-talked about Tennis dresses worn by female players: Serena Williams' silver stud black dress (US Open 2004) | sportzpoint.com

For her third round of women's singles at US Open 2004, Serena Williams opted for an all-black ensemble (also by Nike), wearing a dress featuring silver studs all around the neck, down the midline and at the hips.

The GOAT paired the look with a heart-chain bracelet on one wrist and a matching black studded wristband on the other.

She rounded out her accessories with diamond-encrusted hoop earrings and a black headband that debuted the official Serena logo.

Instead of a typical athletic sneaker, Williams sported what can only be described as knee-high sneaker boots.

9. Maria Sharapova' s Riccardo Tisci little black dress (US Open 2017)

Maria Sharapova created sensation to the US Open 2017 courts with her little black dress designed by Riccardo Tisci for Nike.

Lace, Swarovski crystals, dots and leather details, the Russian carried them all for an ultra daring and glamorous look perfect for night matches in New York.

The tennis fashion queen decided to balance the femininity of the dress with masculine energy of a slightly oversized bomber jacket that is billowy in the back.

The best thing is that the elegant outfit, far from a typical sports look, is by no means compromising performance and Sharapova proved that by ousting world number two Simona Halep in the first-round thriller.

10. Caroline Wozniacki's beige Adidas dress (Toray Pan Pacific Open 2014)

Top 10 most-talked about Tennis dresses worn by female players: Caroline Wozniacki beige Adidas dress | sportzpoint.com

Danish former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki sported a beige Adidas dress at the 2014 Toray Pan Pacific Open.

The Adidas number featured contrasting panels of brown and beige, as well as a side ruffle that added some flair to an otherwise classic look.

Despite being bogged down by a useless ruffle, Wozniacki finds herself back in a Slam final.

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