Top 10 tennis fashion aces of 2019

In the end, 2019 might not go down as one of the most fashionable years to date in Open-era tennis, but it more than compensated with its overall consistency. That said, some looks emerged eternally memorable. Here's to the Top 10 on-court style moments of the year, as we turn the page on another decade in Grand Slam style.

10

We may be knocking on 2020's door, but it's the '90s that are back in a major way. The likes of Grigor Dimitrov and Petra Kvitova put that on full display at the Australian Open this year.

They rocked Nike polos featuring colorways decidedly hailing from 25 years ago, in the best way.

9

Bedecked in Nike, Felix Auger Aliassime brought faux–sweater vest elegance to the proceedings at Wimbledon, and while he didn't make the second week of the Championships' fortnight, he certainly left an impression for the future.

8

Kei Nishikori gave us effortless chic at the US Open, his Uniqlo polo arriving with expert color-blocking and fashion-fresh shorts and kicks.

7

Outfitted in Fila's Heritage collection, an under-the-weather Kiki Bertens didn't tarry long at Roland Garros this year. And yet, just as this reviewer said at the time, her drop-waist polo dress would go down as one of 2019's best kits.

6

Set fashions to stun: Black-and-white bee-themed looks stung the sartorial competition at Roland Garros, with the Nike-sponsored Sloane Stephens opting for a two-piece set including a white top, subtly accented by a lavender "swoosh" detail.

And Maria Sakkari went for the all-black ensemble.

5

Pleated to the heavens, Serena Williams' Wimbledon dress boasted that ballyhooed "Broosh"—broach meets Nike swoosh—that came comprised of 34 Swarovski crystals, marking its wearer's age 34, which remains when she last won the title at the All England Club. "The dress features cutouts where the rest of us would benefit from a lot more side-planks," we said at the time. That still stands.

4

Partnering with Sacai, Nike put Naomi Osaka in a black-and-orange dress that gave her the look of a tiger ready for battle. While this reviewer tweaked at the time the ruffle festooning her shoulder blades, a non-linear pleat to the skirt took the look up a notch. Or six. The team who designed the frock brought Osaka's color notes to it, a reflection of the fact that this one's not going anywhere.

3

Similar to what Nike achieved at the Aussie Open, Uniqlo dressed Nishikori in a bright, beyond-pleasing color combination that evoked 1990s goodness. Note that Nishikori appears twice on this roster, while relatively new labelmate Roger Federer, while GQ's People's Choice winner as most stylish man of the decade, doesn't appear once. Let's go, Feder-qlo!

2

A vision in her green Nike "playsuit" Down Under, Williams returns to this list with a one-piece number that made those in the know yearn for her 2002 US Open catsuit, which was insta-famous before there was Instagram (or social media, period).

1

Former Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza returned to her old stomping grounds—that's how that grass looks after Week 1, right?—in a Stella McCartney–meets-Adidas dress for all of time. A seeming strawberries-and-cream motif showed off red embellishments in the right places and ultra-breathable mesh at the abs and neckline.

It's not often that our year-end fashion champ springs out of Wimbledon's all-white stipulations, but this immensely wearable frock reigned supreme in 2019.

Kudos to the makers of these kits, and to those who gamely sported them on courts the world over. We'll see you in 2020, as we kick off a new decade of major fashion moments in Melbourne. It remains to be seen what on-court fashion trends will show themselves, but we lie in wait for animal prints, pleats galore, and more.