Why Nike’s Basketball-Inspired U.S. Open Looks Make Perfect Sense

By Jonathan Zavaleta

Jonathan Zavaleta

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Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams may have gotten knocked out of the mixed doubles tournament at the U.S. Open, but they certainly played in style. They started strong, winning their first match together in coordinating purple Nike outfits. All eyes were on the pair, with Alcaraz surprisingly returning after a wrist injury and Williams coming out of retirement this year. Win or lose, they both just looked happy to be playing tennis again.

Alcaraz and Williams were both wearing pieces from Nike’s Tennis Slam collection, with Alcaraz’s purple-and-orange reversible tank top already selling out in most sizes online. Everything about his look — save for maybe the sneakers and the racket in his hand — looked more inspired by basketball than tennis. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spaniard’s ensemble on New York’s fiercely competitive public basketball courts and beyond soon.

Serena Williams’ mesh tennis skirt also came from Nike’s Tennis Slam collection. That piece likewise drew clear inspiration from the kind of basketball shorts you might have seen someone wear in the Nineties, on the kind of hooper with a deadly corner three and a sneaky reverse layup. Instead, it was built for the likes of Williams, with her powerful serve and killer two-handed backhand. World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka likewise wore a tennis dress from the Slam City collection, with similar mesh accents. The collection extends to off-court pieces as well, all with an unmistakable basketball inspiration. There are T-shirts, sweatshirts, and zip-up tops.

Coming off Wimbledon, with its strict rules about white attire, the U.S. Open’s hard courts are an exciting place for tennis stars to flash their personal style. And it’s fitting that Nike’s basketball-inspired Tennis Slam collection would be the style star of this year’s U.S. Open, held in the city that’s still riding high from the Knicks’ electrifying NBA Finals win. Even though Nike has decades of tennis pedigree — see Andre Agassi’s unapologetically bold Nineties looks, for example — the Swoosh is still more closely associated with hardwood than grass or clay. Now, Nike isn’t afraid to lean into that reputation, and the outfits are all the better for it.

You can see some of the standout pieces from Nike’s Tennis Slam collection below.

NikeCourt Slam Men’s Dri-FIT Tennis Shorts

$90.00

Alcaraz’s match-day shirt is sold out, although the shorts are still in stock.

NikeCourt Slam Women’s High-Waisted Tennis Skirt

$90.00

The skirt features a basketball-inspired mesh design, and comes in three colors.

NikeCourt Slam Men’s Dri-FIT Button-Up Tennis Top

$120.00

The button-up short-sleeve top features a mesh design and comes in two colors.

Nike Studio Fleece Women’s Oversized Crew

$85.00

The off-court fleece features a graphic of a tennis ball and ripped netting.