The US Open is underway in New York, but forget the tennis-club uniform. From Phoebe Philo shades to a Marc Jacobs bag straight off the runway, here’s how to serve looks beyond the baseline.
If Wimbledon is tennis’s reigning aristocrat, the US Open is its scrappier, louder sibling, and with it in full swing at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there’s no better excuse to talk about tennis-core. The trend has had a serious grip on fashion for a few years now: pleated skirts, crisp polos, tennis-white everything, given a boost by Challengers and a wave of players who treat the court like a runway.
But walk the grounds at Flushing Meadows and you’ll still mostly find the same tired uniform: florals, loafers, an Oxford shirt sweating through the humidity. Nothing wrong with the classics, but they could use a jolt of personality.
So whether you’re courtside in Queens or cheering from the couch, here’s how to give your tennis style a bit more edge this month.
Shady Lady in Phoebe Philo
Sun’s out, shades on. Phoebe Philo’s Half Bombe Sunglasses in conker tortoiseshell are built for exactly this: a bold, sculptural bombe frame that shields you from courtside glare and wandering eyes alike. The warm, glossy tortoiseshell finish keeps it wearable well beyond the stands, proof that blocking out the sun and the opps can look this good.
Argyle with style from JW Anderson
Argyle will always read as tennis-core shorthand, but sometimes the safer bet is the better one. JW Anderson’s knitted polo in bubblegum proves the point: playful, with enough polish to take you from the stands to dinner without missing a beat.
No foot faults for Martine Rose
Why choose between comfort and impact when Martine Rose has already solved it? This runner-meets-heel hybrid in black, cut through with flashes of white and red, brings sneaker energy to a stiletto silhouette. The result? All the ease of courtside footwear with none of the compromise on drama.
Diesel Break Point Headwear
A cap will always get the job done courtside — safe, sensible, sun-smart. But if you want your headwear to actually say something, Diesel’s distressed denim cap is the louder, cooler alternative: worn-in texture, off-duty attitude, and enough edge to prove you came to be seen, not just to spectate.
Advantage: Loverboy
Loverboy takes the Oxford shirt and gives it style kudos. This one comes with its own built-in extra sleeves, which can be knotted around the shoulders so you get that preppy jumper-draped look without the actual jumper. Eclectic, a little surreal, and proof that even the most basic of staples can be reconsidered.
Wales Bonner Serving Up Versatility
Why pick a lane when Wales Bonner refuses to? This oyster and dark brown anorak splits the difference between sporty, sophisticated and urbane, tailored enough for the stands, technical enough for the elements, and modish enough to wear long after the final set.
A Cut Above the Rest
Forget the midi you inherited, this one steals the show. Burberry’s gabardine asymmetric skirt will make you forget about wearing a tennis skirt, instead opting for something sharper, structured, directional, built to command attention. Centre court has some competition.
Marc Jacobs Courtside Credentials
Where else to debut brand new Marc Jacobs than the US Open? This plum-tinted shoulder bag, straight from the Fall 2026 drop, is the fastest route to New York elite status, no five-set match required.
Want preppy without trying too hard? Miu Miu‘s piqué and poplin polo wares, previously donned on the runaway by Troye Sivan, is sharp enough to pass the dress code, and loose and unfussy enough to look like you didn’t think about it at all. A+ for lack of effort!
Match Point to Simone Rocha
Match point calls for an outfit change. Simone Rocha’s full look, anchored by the Grommet Skirt, brings its own kind of theatre: sculptural, a little romantic, entirely unmissable. Trade the courtside uniform for something with real drama built in, the kind that can hold its own against a five-setter on Ashe.