Overview
- Sabalenka defended the orange-and-black mesh, basketball‑inspired Nike kit during US Open media availability on Aug. 28, telling reporters, “I love it,” and saying online critics do not bother her.
- The look is a sheer, jersey-style top worn over a bright orange sports bra with matching shorts, a design she first previewed on Instagram on July 30.
- She wore the outfit on court in a mixed doubles match with Novak Djokovic that ended in an upset loss to Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten on Aug. 25.
- Nike’s 2026 Grand Slam program assigns sport motifs to each major and the company chose basketball and New York for the US Open, a direction Sabalenka says she pushed for and supports.
- The reaction has split social media and commercial observers, raising questions about how far sponsors and top players can push unconventional tennis fashion and how that attention shapes player image ahead of her singles title defense.