The 2026 WTA season is all but about to end, with the top eight players of the year heading to Indian Wells for the WTA Finals. Before the players were set to don their on-court kits and get ready for battle, all eight players sported strong fashion statements, focusing on streetwear, something that might have made for fascinating portraits, but did not sit well with fans.
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All eight singles players sported famous fashion houses, with Coco Gauff wearing a Miu Miu outfit, Aryna Sabalenka in a red jacket from Gucci, and Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova in outfits from Chanel and Balenciaga. At the same time, Elina Svitolina opted for a Tom Ford outfit.
Almost all players shared a common theme in their outfits, which included long boots and jackets, with Linda Noskova even going for a full tomboy look in her “The Frankie Shop” outfit. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina was the only one who sported a black outfit with ripped jeans, making her stand out from the other outfits. Despite so many top brands being involved, fans called for the stylist’s firing, as they were not happy with what they saw.
While this year’s outfits have a more street-ready flavor, previous WTA Finals have seen players wear more stylish gowns for photoshoots. Back in the 2024 and 2025 editions in Riyadh, players wore full-length gowns designed by various worldwide stylists, including Alberta Ferretti, Brunello Cucinelli, Talbot Runhof, and Lela Rose, all of whom were involved in 2025. This year, the design duties fell to Danyul Brown, who set up the players’ outfits.
Another key aspect of the photoshoot was its individual nature. Usually, the WTA Finals photoshoot features all eight players in one shot. Still, media speculation suggested that the 2026 edition would pose a logistical challenge with Svitolina in the lineup. The Ukrainian has previously not been involved in promotional campaigns with Russian and Belarusian players, and, with the likes of Sabalenka and Andreeva in the lineup, the WTA decided to have individual portraits. This stance was stated by tennis insider Ben Rothenberg.
Fans were not highly impressed with the outfits, while also criticizing the decision of the individual portraits. The tournament is already under scrutiny from fans after hot mics caught players’ private conversations during practice sessions, which were broadcast live. With the outfits not meeting fan expectations, the WTA will hope the players make it up for it with their on-court brilliance next week.
Fans Slam the WTA Finals Outfits
Despite being well-intentioned, the outfits at the WTA Finals fell short of the mark set by fan expectations. One of them bluntly stated, “The stylist for this needs to be relieved of their duties.”
Another fan had a more nuanced take but was still not impressed by the overall look of the pictures and the outfits.
“I really want to love the portraits, but the styling just falls flat. Good concept to celebrate individuality, but what I see are players wearing costumes,” said the fan. “Meanwhile, the doubles players are wearing outfits that actually show who they are.”
The fan was not wrong, as the eight doubles teams that have qualified for the event had a joint photograph, while also having single shots of each competing pair where they have sported outfits that have complemented one another.
Other fans were also unhappy with the outfit designs for the singles players, with one saying, “Why did you do that ?!”
Other fans had similar sentiments, with one of them saying, “Is this a worst outfit contest?”, while another said, “These are some brutal outfits.”
The event is all set to begin on November 8, with the top eight players in the world set to play for one of the biggest titles outside the Slams. All players have different ambitions, with someone like Rybakina eager to defend her title and establish herself as the No. 1 player in the world, whereas Sabalenka will look to win the title and have a launchpad to kickstart her 2027 season.
The likes of Gauff and Svitolina have been past champions at the event and will look to use it to their advantage. In contrast, the trio of Noskova, Mirra Andreeva, and Karolina Muchova will look to give a good account of themselves in their first outing at the Finals.