“I’ve always been into fashion,” Aryna Sabalenka stated in a new interview with Vogue. While The Row, Loewe, and Saint Laurent are some of her favorite brands, she also loves wearing a cool watch and beautiful jewelry. But as a tennis player, style on the court is just as important as it is off the court. That’s where Nike has been helping her.

For instance, during the 2023 US Open, the tennis player had dropped hints at what she would be wearing: A coral pink custom Nike ensemble. “Can’t wait to get on court and start serving some lewks,” Sabalenka wrote on Instagram back then. And that is exactly what she did after donning her racerback dress with matching Nike Air Zoom NXT shoes. But hey, ahead of her 2025 Australian Open campaign, an image of the WTA number one in a Nike dress surfaced online, fueling rumors that this might be her custom outfit for the year’s first major tournament. Here’s the thing:

The reveal has divided fans, with many criticizing Nike for what they perceive as an average design. Sabalenka is gearing up to defend her title in the Australian Open for the third time now and started her campaign by wearing a custom Nike jacket during the draw ceremony, looking quite the vision as she placed her last season’s trophy on the dais before gearing up to fight for this year’s title. The jacket had a personalized touch, with her name “Aryna” elegantly written in a black font right beside Nike’s iconic logo.

“To be back here, and to walk here with this beautiful trophy as the two-time defending champion is definitely something special, I really hope that I can keep doing what I’m doing here in Australia,” Sabalenka said at the trophy ceremony while donning the sleek look. However, when Whoop’s IG page shared a reel where Sabalenka’s Australian Open outfits were shared chronologically, it became a hot topic.

At the beginning of this reel, the Belarusian was seen in a yellow Nike dress. A fan took a screenshot of it and shared it on X, and that’s where the criticism began. They began calling out Nike, asking for a more inspired approach to match the star’s indomitable presence on the court.

Here’s all that fans said about the tennis star’s possible Australian Open outfits.

Fans disapprove of rumored Aryna Sabalenka’s Nike kit for the 2025 Australian Open

Although not confirmed yet, a fan named Thierry T shared Sabalenka’s image in a yellow Nike dress, which could have been the athlete’s custom Nike costume for the Melbourne Major. As soon as the photo was shared, Sabalenka fans started to call out Nike for not investing much time on-court fashion game. One fan wrote:

• “This is not a slam winning kit tho, it’s not giving that.”

During Sabalenka’s 2024 US Open run, she wore a pink Nike top and a skirt with maroon sneakers, which were said to be custom-made for the star. Then people liked her look at Flushing Meadows in 2024 as well. She has given fans some great fashion inspiration off the court too. For instance, back in September 2023, she was seen wearing a stunning three-piece blazer to commemorate the milestone of rising to the WTA world No. 1 ranking.

After so many great on and off-court choices, fans cannot wait to see her serving more looks. And perhaps that is the reason fans were disappointed.

• “When will Nike get her to design her own clothes like New Balance does with coco? Considering she won 2 aus opens now, I think she deserves to have a say in her kits more than colours.”

This fan referred to Sabalenka’s success on Australia’s hard courts. Given that she bagged two consecutive wins here, she deserves to have a say in her outfits. This happened during the 2024 US Open too. When Sabalenka clinched the trophy, people slammed Nike mentioning that the Belarusian player was offered a lackluster outfit for such an important event.

• “it’s the same what Qinwen has, but in different colour 🤷🏻‍♀️ nike is washed.”

Sabalenka’s followers were convinced that this rumored dress was not custom but just another tennis apparel that Sabalenka wore in her previous matches but in a different color. Last year in Melbourne, the WTA number one wore a bright red Nike dress. This year’s kit, if confirmed to be this one, looks similar in design. Referring to this, tennis fans wrote:

• “It’s not a custom just a different color.”
• “i actually don’t mind the color. the custom is not ugly, but it doesn’t live up to the “custom” name.”

Aryna Sabalenka’s on-court performances might have impressed her fans, but her sartorial choices—usually on point—have failed to measure up this time. It will be interesting to see what the tennis star wears for her Australian Open, don’t you think?