Aryna Sabalenka’s new Nike kit for the US Open didn’t land the way the brand probably hoped. Fans piled on almost immediately after she unveiled the basketball themed design, with plenty calling it a miss and comparing the black mesh overlay to a fishing net. The World No.1 wasn’t interested in apologizing for it, and she made that clear in Toronto days later. She delivered one of her more candid takes yet on why she’s fine dividing opinion.

“I really think, honestly, that recently they’ve been more creative and more fun, and we’re definitely on to something really fun, especially for the next year”, said Sabalenka in a press conference at the Canadian Open. “So I’m excited to partner with them to, you know, come up with some fun, fresh new designs, and I love my outfit. If someone doesn’t like it, it’s okay, you know, like you cannot impress everyone with your outfits, and that’s why I like fashion.”

Sabalenka’s US Open outfit has seen Nike try to incorporate a basketball feel into the kit to match the surroundings of New York. The kit has a bold design, featuring a net overlay on the outfit, which consists of an orange top and red shorts, aiming to align the World No.1’s look with the style of power tennis she played on the court.

This is not the first time this year that Nike has themed Sabalenka’s Major outfits around other sports. At the Australian Open, the Belarusian’s kit featured a mixed palette of pink, orange, and black, a tribute to surfing and Melbourne’s coastal culture. At the French Open, she wore a black-and-red outfit whose fluid aesthetic was drawn from ballet. Even though SW19 has a strict dress code, Nike designed Sabalenka’s outfit while keeping the all-white cricket outfits in mind.

That’s a real shift from where she stood a year ago. After the 2025 season ended, Sabalenka was openly critical of her own Nike kits, saying the upcoming season’s designs weren’t going to be anything special. The pivot toward genuinely experimental, sport-themed outfits in 2026 appears to be a direct response to that frustration, even if the reception hasn’t matched her own enthusiasm for the results.

Sabalenka is not the only high-profile player who has worn elaborate outfits at Slams this year. Naomi Osaka’s outfits at Slams this year have been the center of attention for all, with the former World No.1 wearing a jellyfish-themed outfit at the Australian Open and sporting an all-white kimono at Wimbledon.

Fans often make harsh comments when they dislike something, but Sabalenka’s remarks about her Nike outfit show that the Belarusian is quite happy with the result. She will hope that the outfit brings her good luck as she attempts to complete a hat-trick of US Open titles, the last achieved by a female player over a decade ago.

Aryna Sabalenka Will Aim to Complete a Hattrick of US Open Titles This Year

Sabalenka is headed into the US Open this year under a similar type of pressure she faced last year. Just like in 2025, the World No.1 goes into New York not having won a Major in the season. She will also face the pressure of completing a hat-trick of US Open titles, a feat last achieved by Serena Williams, who won at Flushing Meadows from 2012 to 2014.

Sabalenka reached the Australian Open final this year, coming second to Elena Rybakina, but it is the Belarusian’s last couple of losses at the French Open and Wimbledon that have raised concerns about her form and her ability to hold it together when things are not going well on the court. Overall, she has won thirty-four out of the forty matches she has played in New York, making her a formidable opponent on that court.

Sabalenka has started her hard-court swing strong at the Canadian Open, where the top seed secured easy wins against the likes of Moyuka Uchijima and Zhang Shuai. However, she now faces a sterner test as she takes on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round.