“I love my outfit. If someone doesn’t like it, it’s okey. You cannot impress everyone with your outfits,” Sabalenka said.

The two-time US Open defending champion also admitted that she was tired of wearing basic dresses and pushed Nike to experiment with bolder concepts, different silhouettes, and more playful ideas. The collaboration seems to have delivered exactly what she wanted, and Sabalenka hinted that even more extraordinary looks are coming next season.

“I really think, honestly, that recently they’ve been more creative and more fun. And we’re definitely onto something really fun, especially for next year. So I’m excited to partner with them, to come up with some fun, fresh, new designs.”

 

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Sabalenka also highlighted the bigger story behind her 2026 Grand Slam outfits: each one has been inspired by a different sport, creating a consistent theme throughout the season.

“I really love this year’s Nike outfits because they all relate to different sports: Australia was surf-related, French it was ballet, and then Wimby was cricket, and then the US Open is basketball.“

 

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While Aryna Sabalenka’s version pushes the basketball-inspired look into a more revealing direction, Eala’s dress incorporates the “fishnet” mesh elements in a more refined way. The textured panels appear along the side of the skirt and extend across the racerback area down toward the mid-back, adding dimension and a sporty edge without compromising comfort or wearability on court.

The royal blue base, combined with black and white outlines, feels especially fitting for the US Open stage. It’s eye-catching, athletic, and aligned with the tournament’s visual identity.

What do you think of Eala’s new dress? How does it compare to Sabalenka’s and Naomi Osaka’s takes on Nike’s basketball theme?

 

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Additional info: As seen on Vogue Philippines, Nike has also recently launched a limited-edition collection celebrating Eala’s Filipino heritage. Designed by Manila-based artist Georgina Camus, the Nike By You In Full Bloom collection features a T-shirt, cap, and tote bag decorated with the Sampaguita flower, the national flower of the Philippines, set against a tennis court backdrop. The floral design serves as a “blooming tribute” to the new WTA world No. 20’s career success while honoring her roots.

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All-around pleated skirts have long been a staple of tennis style, but New Balance’s latest Fall Tournament Skirt puts an unexpected twist on the classic silhouette with a flirty asymmetrical hemline. It’s a simple yet striking detail that refreshes the look while keeping the timeless charm of this tennis favorite intact. A built-in shortie with side pockets provides extra coverage and functionality.

Complementing the skirt’s playful pleated silhouette is the fitted, cropped New Balance Fall Tournament Tank with a square neckline.

Beyond the court, the skirt can be styled with the Fall Tournament Graphic T-Shirt, featuring three pixelated tennis players, or the cropped Fall Tournament Sleeveless Hoodie, a fashion-forward layering piece.

 

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One of the biggest additions to New Balance’s tennis lineup this season is the all-new FuelCell 996v7, the latest evolution of the brand’s signature lightweight speed shoe. Designed for aggressive movers who rely on quick reactions and relentless court coverage, the hard-court model combines a responsive FuelCell foam midsole with a streamlined construction aimed at maximizing acceleration and agility.

Compared to the previous FuelCell 996v6, the updated version introduces a redesigned midsole featuring an external TPU shank for enhanced stability, while the upper has been upgraded with tougher materials to improve durability. The 996v7 also addresses one of the main criticisms of its predecessor by offering a roomier, more comfortable fit, making it a more accessible option for players who found the 996v6 too narrow.

As always, Coco Gauff will debut a custom outfit at the US Open, which is expected to be unveiled closer to the start of the Grand Slam. While her apparel remains under wraps, fans can shop her signature tennis shoes (CG2 and Coco Delray) in a colorway that perfectly complements the New Balance collection showcased above. (sources: SI.com, WWD)

EXPLORE MORE US OPEN LOOKS FROM WTA PLAYERS:

• Nike’s controversial fishnet designs? Their theme is actually basketball
• This is Belinda Bencic’s new Asics dress that fans love
• First glance at Naomi Osaka’s monochrome fishnet Nike fit
• Adidas takes a risk: Inside look at the bold new bodysuit and onesie
• Aryna Sabalenka surprises with extra revealing mesh dress by Nike
• Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Wang Xinyu showcase Adidas’ retro-inspired outfits
• Adidas inspired by 90s New York nightlife: Promo photos of Jessica Pegula and Iva Jovic in latest apparel

 

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“Our little baby boy is here with us. Words can’t express how beautiful it is to become parents,” the retired French tennis player wrote. “We’re so grateful to God that everything went well and that we’re already back home with our (very) tiny prince.”

In addition to postpartum photos of herself with her newborn in the hospital bed, Garcia’s Instagram carousel features adorable close-up shots of baby Pablo, as well as heartwarming moments of her husband, Borja Duran, with their firstborn.

The 32-year-old had announced her pregnancy in March 2026, seven months after playing the final match of her professional career at the 2025 US Open.

Over the weekend, the 21-year-old Eala made history by becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour title, capturing the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. She did it in spectacular fashion, taking out one big name after the other: Zheng Qinwen, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula in the final. Now, enjoying her first week as a Top 20 player, Eala has become the hottest ticket at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open.

 

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The demand to see Eala in Toronto was immediate. Tournament director Karl Hale revealed that tickets for her first-round clash with American Alycia Parks were snapped up within just 30 minutes, leaving organizers with no choice but to move the match from Grandstand Court to Center Court to accommodate the unprecedented interest.

“It’s incredible,” Hale said about Eala’s popularity. “It’s something we’ve never seen before this early in the tournament.”

Eala is scheduled to begin her singles campaign on Wednesday, August 5, during the night session at Sobeys Stadium, which has a capacity of 12,500 fans.

Meanwhile, after their planned doubles partnership in Washington with Venus Williams failed to materialize, Eala and the American tennis legend will team up in Toronto. Their first-round doubles match is set for Center Court on Thursday night. According to Hale, it is the first time he can remember a first-round doubles match being scheduled on Center Court.

The Eala effect has even reached the tournament’s food stands. In another unprecedented move, organizers have expanded their menu around Sobeys Stadium to include more traditional Filipino dishes, responding to the wave of Filipino fans expected to attend the event.

“We’ve never done this before in the history of the tournament,” Hale said. (source: blogTO)

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Seeing product images rather than fashion editorial shots offers a completely new perspective on the design. The Adidas Fall Slam Pro Bodysuit is certainly a daring choice for tennis, with a strong gymnastics, ballerina, or even swimming aesthetic. While its practicality on court may be debatable, there is no denying that it makes a statement, especially when paired with the matching Adidas Fall Bubble Skirt as intended. The dramatic open-back detail adds a bold touch, while the voluminous bubble skirt balances the look with a softer silhouette.

 

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Both the bodysuit and bubble skirt are available in pink and black, giving you the option to mix the two shades for a contrast look or create a monochromatic outfit.

One important detail: the bodysuit does not include a bra, so choosing the right sports bra becomes part of the styling. A subtle contrast, like the one shown by the model, works particularly well and adds another interesting layer to the outfit.

The other unconventional tennis look Adidas is introducing for the US Open is the Fall Slam Pro Onesie, a tight-fitting piece with a satin sheen that channels a true ’90s vibe. Like the bodysuit, it features dramatic side cutouts that flow into an open-back design. It does not feature a sports bra, so you’ll want to choose one that complements the eye-shaped keyhole opening at the upper back. On the practical side, it does include side pockets.

For a more balanced silhouette, the body-hugging onesie is best paired with the loose, cropped Adidas Fall Pro Top, as shown by the model below. You can opt for an all-black look, as featured here, or add slight contrast with the top in maroon.

This New York collection is also distinct for featuring items with 3D capsules that further enhance moisture-wicking performance, such as the Adidas Fall Pro 3D Tank. This technology is called CLIMACOOL+ and comes in addition to the standard CLIMACOOL technology already present in all other items. Check out all the novelties at both Tennis Warehouse USA and Tennis Warehouse Europe.

More new Adidas tennis fashion to explore: Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Wang Xinyu pose in retro-inspired looks for the 2026 US Open.

Less than a month after the tennis world witnessed the first all-Czech women’s Grand Slam final of the Open Era, when Linda Noskova defeated Karolina Muchova in one of the most dramatic recent Wimbledon championship matches, the Czech Republic has achieved another remarkable milestone.

Here is the current WTA singles ranking of Czech women in the Top 100:

1. No. 6 Karolina Muchova
2. No 7. Linda Noskova
3. No. 25 Marie Bouzkova
4. No. 26 Barbora Krejcikova
5. No. 37 Katerina Siniakova
6. No. 38 Sara Bejlek
7. No. 42 Nikola Bartunkova
8. No. 66 Karolina Pliskova (former No. 1)
9. No. 67 Tereza Valentova
10. No. 92 Darja Vidmanova

The current Top 100 statistic is not a random spike; it is the result of a long-standing tennis culture and a highly effective development system. Czech tennis has built a cycle of success, with each generation inspiring the next. As Muchova explained ahead of the Wimbledon final, young players grow up watching Czech champions succeed and gain the belief that they can follow the same path:

“We have great history of Czech tennis. Definitely the fact that there is so many of us. Myself, when I was younger, looking up to the girls who were like maybe five years older than I was, you can just see them doing so well. So it gave me the belief that I can as well do it.”

That tradition is also reflected in team competition success. The Czech Republic (including Czechoslovakia-era titles) has won the Billie Jean King Cup 11 times, the second-most in history behind only the United States (18).

A total of 29 teams have now entered the event. Below is the complete list, ranked by combined singles ranking:

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic
Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev
Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli
*Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik
Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev
Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime
Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien
*Anna Kalinskaya and Lorenzo Musetti
*Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul
Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe
*Maria Sakkari and Karen Khachanov
*Katie Boulter and Alex De Minaur
*Tatjana Maria and Valentin Vacherot
Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev
Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Nuno Borges
Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper
*Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils
Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori
*Reese Brantmeier and Michael Zheng
*Venus Williams and Alexander Bublik
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten
*Jelena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arevalo
*Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliövaara
*Demi Schuurs and Julian Cash
*Caty McNally and Robert Cash
Peyton Stearns and Preston Stearns

The 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship will feature a 16-team field, with the entry deadline set for Monday, August 17 at noon. The top six teams based on combined singles ranking at the time of entry closure will receive direct main draw spots, while eight teams will be awarded wildcards. The remaining two main draw places will be decided through an eight-team qualifying event.

The championship will take place August 24-26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Qualifying will be held on Monday, August 24, with eight teams competing for two main draw spots. The first round and quarterfinals will follow on Tuesday, August 25, while the semifinals and final will be played on Wednesday, August 26.

Fans can attend several sessions for free with a Fan Access Pass, including qualifying matches at Grandstand and Tuesday’s action at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium will require a ticket.

The event will feature a unique fast-paced format: qualifying through the semifinals will use best-of-three sets with sets played to four games, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point match tiebreak in place of a third set. The final will follow a traditional six-game set format, also with no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak deciding the third set.

ESPN will broadcast the 2026 US Open, including the Mixed Doubles Championship, with coverage beginning Monday, August 24.

 

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The brand accompanied the promotional photos with a Canadian flag emoji, indicating that Bencic will debut the dress as she starts the North American swing at the National Bank Open, while also using the hashtag #NewYorkCollection, suggesting that the Swiss will wear the same design at the US Open.

We’ve spotted Bencic around the grounds at the Canadian Open, heading to practice with her toddler daughter Bella always by her side. While the 2025 Toronto champion has been training in Asics training apparel, she’s expected to switch to the new dress for match play. The V-neck design features a subtle mesh insert and a breathable jacquard fabric with a wiggly textured pattern. It also includes a flouncy skirt and a racerback silhouette with a mesh back panel.

Completing the look are the Asics SOLUTION SPEED™ FF 4 shoes in a matching mauve colorway, paired with the Fall Performance Visor in the bubblegum shade.

Bencic’s WTA colleague and fellow Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig was among the first to react to the new outfit, commenting, “Love this color!” Fans quickly echoed the sentiment, with responses such as “The kit is 🔥,” “Gorgeous 🔥🔥👏👏,” “This one looks amazing,” and “Great fit,” among many other positive reactions.

Williams has suffered 13 consecutive first-round defeats and has not won a singles match in more than a year. With each new wildcard opportunity, criticism from parts of the tennis community has intensified, with some fans arguing that the seven-time Grand Slam champion should step away from the sport rather than accept spots that could go to rising players.

Despite the backlash, the August 13-23 WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati has continued the tradition of giving Williams an opportunity to compete. Reacting to the Cincinnati announcement, one Tennis Forum user wrote, “Venus has no shame,” a comment that reflects the growing frustration among some members of the tennis community.

Williams owns a 12-10 record at the Cincinnati Open, with her best results coming in 2012, when she reached the semifinals, and in 2019, when she advanced to the quarterfinals. Last year she also received a wildcard, and lost in the first round to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 6-4.

What’s more, Venus and Serena Williams will make their Cincinnati Open doubles debut as a wildcard pairing. Together, the sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals. Their last doubles match came at the 2022 US Open.

In singles, Cincinnati has also awarded wildcards to Sloane Stephens, Taylor Townsend, Darja Vidmanova, Elvina Kalieva, Caroline Dolehide and Lois Boisson.

Qualifying wildcards have been given to 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, Akasha Urhobo, Carol Young Suh Lee, Jeline Vandromme and Robin Montgomery, the 21-year-old American who captured her first WTA title in June.

It is a historic day for the Philippines, as the 21-year-old Eala has become the first player from the country to win a WTA Tour title. In her only previous final, on the grass court of Eastbourne in 2025, she fell short to Maya Joint.

The victory will also see Eala rise from No. 28 into the Top 20 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time in her career.

Making her Washington debut, Eala faced a very tough path to lift the WTA 500 trophy. The Filipina defeated a series of major champions and Grand Slam contenders throughout the week, starting with 2024 Australian Open finalist and Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the opening round. She then overcame defending champion and 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, four-time Grand Slam semifinalist and former world No. 3 Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka in the semifinals, and finally 2024 US Open finalist and world No. 3 Pegula in the final.

Eala now owns nine career wins over Top 10 opponents. As the Mubadala Citi DC Open champion, she earned $252,000 in prize money, while Pegula took home $155,000 as the runner-up.

Moments like this 🥹🫶

A day Kristina Liutova will never forget!#memphisclassic pic.twitter.com/69WknJqLvT

— wta (@WTA) August 2, 2026

Before arriving in Memphis, Liutova had never even competed in a WTA 125 event, let alone a WTA Tour-level tournament. Still, the 16-year-old had already enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season, capturing her first three professional singles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour: the W35 in Las Vegas, the W100 in Indian Harbour Beach and the W100 in Sumter.

Before the WTA 250 hard-court tournament in Memphis, Liutova had never faced a Top 100 opponent. She beat three in a single week, advancing past top seed Ekaterina Alexandrova after the Russian retired late in the third set before defeating Maya Joint and Caty McNally to improve to 3-0 against Top 100 competition.

Impressively, Liutova is now on the verge of a Top 100 debut herself. She began 2026 ranked No. 714 in the PIF WTA Rankings, but has produced a meteoric rise: she cracked the Top 500 on March 2, entered the Top 250 on June 8, arrived in Memphis as world No. 229, and is now projected to climb to a career-high No. 126.

With her Memphis triumph, Liutova became the third teenager to win a WTA title in 2026, joining Mirra Andreeva (Adelaide, Linz and Roland Garros) and Lilli Tagger (Prague). She also became the first player since Maria Timofeeva at the 2023 Budapest tournament to win a title in her first WTA main-draw event. (source: WTA)

The world No. 82 Rakhimova, a Russian-born player who switched to representing Uzbekistan last year, converted five of her six break-point opportunities to dispatch tennis legend Williams 6-4 6-1 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Canada.

Twelve years have passed since Williams reached the final in Toronto, where she finished runner-up to Agnieszka Radwanska. Now 46, even a single match victory would feel like a significant achievement, but it was not to be, as the American is still searching for her first singles win of the 2026 season.

After a 16-month absence, Williams began her comeback with a victory over Peyton Stearns in Washington in 2025. However, her singles results have since dried up completely, and she has now gone more than a year without winning a match.

Tournament organizers continue to award Williams wildcards because she remains one of the sport’s biggest icons and still draws crowds. But with the losses continuing to mount, many fans feel there is an increasingly bittersweet aspect to her comeback, arguing that each defeat chips away at her legacy while handing opponents just a symbolic victory over one of tennis’ greatest champions.

Here are some of the latest social media reactions that capture the growing frustration among tennis fans:

“I’ve tried to defend her continually taking wildcards away from other players because she is one of the greats and deserves a dignified exit. However, it is becoming more embarrassing to see player after player grabbing their ‘win’ against a champion like Venus. Difficult to watch.”

“It’s a shame she came back… there is no need for that really…”

“It’s honestly ridiculously at this point, matches aren’t even competitive.”

“My question is… playing for fun is understandable, but if there are only losses, where’s any fun in that!?!?”

“Venus just gotta let it go man. Just retire. You’re already a legend in this game, with nothing to prove.”

“When can this stupidity stop? Give her a wildcard for doubles, but she’s taking away a singles spot from someone who needs it way more than she does.”

“She moves like an old lady. Hate to say it but she should hang up her racket.”

UPDATE: A couple of days after we published this story, Venus Williams was awarded a Toronto doubles wildcard to team up with Alexandra Eala. She has also received Cincinnati Open wildcards in both singles and doubles, where she will reunite with her sister Serena Williams for the doubles event.

Enjoy this little musical masterpiece.

mini alex eala playing little lamb🤍🩷
..📸 @jrmaniego123 pic.twitter.com/FZm3pPXOTa

— kerberiosis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, 🦘 x2🐠 | 🥖🥈x1 MAJ (@saturnwtnoring) August 2, 2026

Fans quickly turned the adorable throwback into a source of jokes ahead of the Washington final, with one X user writing: “Alex Eala about to play this masterpiece in Jessica Pegula’s ears while tussling tonight!!! LOL!!! Let’s go Alex!”

Despite being China’s No. 1 WTA player and with the tournament set to take place in her hometown of Shenzhen, Wang was not included in the five-player squad by team captain Zheng Jie. Wang has been a regular member of China’s Billie Jean King Cup team since making her debut in the competition in 2021, but this time she will miss out despite her desire to represent her country.

She shared her feelings for this decision on social media:

Being unable to take part in the BJK Cup Finals in my hometown was a surprise. Representing my country has always been my priority. I respect this decision and I am disappointed. My intentions remain the same: work hard and move forward.

Wang has played six Billie Jean King Cup singles matches, recording a 2-4 mark. Her last outing came at the Finals last year, where she was defeated by Jasmine Paolini. She has enjoyed more success in doubles, winning both of her matches in the competition to own a 2-0 record.

Paris 2024 Olympic women’s singles gold medallist Zheng Qinwen is regarded as the leader of China’s team, although the former world No. 4 is experiencing a major slump. Her recent struggles were highlighted by a qualifying-round defeat at the WTA tournament in Toronto. The other four players selected for the squad are Wang Xiyu, Zhang Shuai, Guo Hanyu and Jiang Xinyu. (via Tennis World USA)

The 21-year-old Eala continued her dream season by defeating third seed Osaka, 6-4 6-2 in the Washington semifinals. Both players held comfortably early on before Eala’s aggressive returning earned her the first break of the match and a 2-1 lead. Osaka quickly responded, converting her fourth break point to level the set before holding serve to take a 3-2 advantage.

The two players continued to trade holds until 4-4, but the Filipina sensation stepped up late in the set, using her powerful groundstrokes to earn another break before serving out the opener at love. Eala’s greater accuracy proved crucial, as she produced just 10 unforced errors while Osaka finished the set with 18.

In the second set, Eala faced no break points while breaking Osaka’s serve twice and closing out the match by winning the final three games.

Eala is still searching for her first WTA title after her only previous appearance in a final ended in a heartbreaking defeat in Eastbourne in 2025. Making her Washington, D.C. debut, the Filipina was handed one of the toughest possible draws, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.

Along the way, Eala has defeated 2024 Australian Open finalist and Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, defending champion and 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, four-time Grand Slam semifinalist and former world No. 3 Elina Svitolina, and four-time major champion Naomi Osaka. Standing between her and the title now is another major challenge: 2024 US Open finalist and current world No. 3 Jessica Pegula.

Eala has enjoyed a breakthrough season, already collecting six wins over Top 10 opponents. A victory over Pegula would mark her seventh. The American leads the head-to-head 1-0. Their only previous meeting came in the 2025 Miami semifinals, where Pegula prevailed in a hard-fought battle, edging Eala 7-6(3) 5-7 6-3.

Now down to No. 123 in the rankings, Zheng had officially dropped out of the Top 100 following her first-round loss at Roland Garros. The 2024 Australian Open runner-up neither made the National Bank Open main draw directly nor received a wildcard, forcing her into qualifying. However, her campaign ended at the first hurdle.

As Jimmie48‘s photos from Toronto show, Zheng was backed by passionate fans holding “QueenWen” and “Let’s Go” banners. But despite the support, the Chinese player’s struggles have now reached a new low. The 23-year-old failed to earn a single break point against Tararudee, who won 93% of points behind her first serve.

Following major elbow surgery after Wimbledon in July 2025, Zheng made a brief return at the China Open in late September, but retired from her second match and ended her season to focus on recovery. She returned to competition at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha in February 2026, where she reached the round of 16 as the world No. 26. With the season progressing, Zheng’s ranking continued to slide, dropping as low as No. 160 during the grass-court swing in June.

The 19-year-old Mboko sustained a left knee injury during her second-round singles match at the HSBC Championships in June. She was also forced to withdraw from the doubles event, ending her highly anticipated partnership with Serena Williams. The first-time pairing had made a promising start by defeating Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe, but their campaign at Queen’s was ultimately cut short by injury.

More than a month and a half has passed, yet Mboko remains sidelined. She will not be at the upcoming National Bank Open to defend the title she won at her home tournament last year as a wildcard, defeating four Grand Slam champions along the way. It is a heartbreaking setback for the teenager, who grew up in Toronto and first picked up a tennis racquet there at the age of three.

The disappointing story does not end there. Mboko is also absent from the official US Open entry list, meaning the knee injury will continue to derail her season. The US Open is scheduled to take place from August 30 to September 13 in New York. (source: Sportsnet)

“This birthday felt different,” Azarenka began her post. While driving home from pilates, the former world No. 1 realized that, for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was celebrating her birthday surrounded by both of her parents and her friends.

Having traveled the world since her youth, Azarenka finally had a moment to appreciate the importance of life’s little things: “For the first time in a long time, I didn’t find myself wishing for anything. I just felt grateful. Grateful to be present, to enjoy the moment, and to appreciate the people around me.”

This birthday felt different.

On my drive home after Pilates today, I caught myself thinking about how special it is to simply be surrounded by family and friends. I asked both my mom and my dad when the last time was that we were all together for my birthday, and none of us…

— victoria azarenka (@vika7) July 31, 2026

Azarenka’s last match came in the third round of the 2025 US Open against Jessica Pegula. While fans are waiting for any mention of her tennis future, Azarenka’s birthday reflection focused on a different aspect of her life, with pilates being the only physical activity she referenced.

However, Azarenka, who is mom to son Leo, did acknowledge her long absence from social media, explaining: “I’ve also spent some time away from the public eye recently, and it’s given me the chance to enjoy quiet moments, private moments, and family moments that I haven’t really been able to experience since I was very young. Those moments have become incredibly meaningful to me.”

Giving fans a glimpse into her thoughts and feelings while making no mention of tennis, Azarenka’s message has led some fans to wonder whether it could be a silent retirement announcement.

 

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New Balance’s Coco Gauff has been infusing basketball DNA into her tennis gear for years, with her signature CG2 shoe taking inspiration from the sport’s aesthetics. Nike is now tapping into the same basketball influence, unveiling a range of new US Open designs that incorporate mesh elements borrowed from the world of hoops.

According to tennis content creator Eliza Wastcoat, the orange color of the bra and shorts visible underneath Sabalenka’s fishnet dress is inspired by the WNBA logo, while the fishnet layer itself is actually a reference to the basketball net. The bold black-and-orange combination is intended for Sabalenka’s night matches.

Naomi Osaka https://t.co/15mMlEQ2Ll pic.twitter.com/zDINCbrGAQ

— ཁྱབ་འཇུག 💜💜 (@Vishsidd2007) July 31, 2026

The theme behind Naomi Osaka‘s monochrome look is “Draft Day.” The tennis fashion icon of this era will debut both day (silver) and night (black) outfits at the US Open, with their mixed chrome finishes designed to reflect movement and form.

shoes shoes shoes for us open 👀 pic.twitter.com/9e5JzfPxV9

— Ana (@thegreatestana) July 31, 2026

Speaking to Tennis Channel in Washington, where she is awaiting her semifinal match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, Osaka was very secretive about her US Open outfit, refusing to reveal any details. However, she did confirm that the theme is basketball.

already feel bad for whoever has to wear these at us open pic.twitter.com/wBsmd8gWMX

— 元气豆沙包 (@hoppang121) July 30, 2026

Zheng Qinwen and most other Nike stars will opt for separates, which are more conservative than the previously covered looks, with mesh incorporated much more subtly into tanks, skirts, and shorts. Here, the basketball references appear more evident, especially in the blue shorts.