Baby I Swear, It’s Déjà Vu!

Since the claycourt season started a couple of weeks ago, I am having yet another déjà vu. It's been years now and the same scenario keeps on repeating itself. Rafael Nadal, who was good, but not utmost best at the beginning of the year, is once again dominating the tour. I just wonder how long he will be able to sustain this rhythm. He has done it for the last 6 years now and it looks like he'll carry on doing it as there is no one to stop him. I put all my faith in Federer, but after his shock loss to Melzer in Monte Carlo, the prospects are not at all optimistic. I am curious how Djokovic will react though. He is unbeaten this season and he won his last two meeting with the Spaniard. However, clay is surely not his playground and I expect Nadal to turn the tables.

Without diminishing his achievements, I think Nadal was a bit lucky these past two weeks. In Monte Carlo, he took advantage of an injured Andy Murray who looked poised to cause an upset in their semifinal clash. Then, with Federer out and Djokovic skipping the tournament, he faced David Ferrer in the final showdown. David did his best, fought hard, but, eventually, his efforts were to no avail, as Nadal won his seventh straight crown.

A week later in Barcelona, the scarcity of big names entering the draw provided Nadal with a relatively easy passage to the final. Once again, he faced compatriot Ferrer in the final act. Again, Ferrer put on a fierce display, especially in the second set, but an injury ended his quest and he had to succumb. Nadal won the match 6-4, 6-4.

As things stand at the moment, I would expect the Spaniard to continue his dominance and finally to add another Roland Garros title to his resume. Sadly, there is no one to really challenge him. Soderling did it once, but probably won’t do it again. Djokovic and Murray are no match on clay and Federer is struggling mentally and psychically. However, never say never. I would really like to witness a change this year and Del Potro might just be the villain to spoil Nadal’s party.

photo: GETTY IMAGES

Tennis Moods Style: Serena Williams

Serena Williams is probably one of the most interesting and exciting players to ever grace the sport of tennis. Leaving aside her tremendous determination, her killer game and her impressive achievements, Serena has now become a larger than life persona. She proved it time and time again throughout her career. She's controversial, outspoken, charismatic and she provides endless media materials. Consequently, she has been the top tennis media darling for more than a decade now. The American seems to bloom in the limelight. She likes the attention and she'll do whatever it takes to get it. To ensure it, she uses a family trick, relying heavily on fashion. A certified fashion designer, Serena has always had a unique style. Portraying her inner self, her style is vivid, provocative, taken to the extreme, fierce and chameleonic. She takes whatever opportunity comes her way to push the envelop, as she is not one bit afraid of taking risks. Moreover, she embraces them wholeheartedly, she never holds back and she always stands behind her decisions. This helped her develop a cohesive, Serena trademarked style.

The reason why I like her so much is because she never paid attention to what others said and she has always followed her guts. Through the years she wore so many memorable outfits, which ended up changing the interface of the game. Even if she might have missed the mark at times, she helped enrich the tennis wardrobe. This is something she should really be given credit for. Before her, tennis was a dull fashion territory where girls wore a T-shirt, a skirt, a dress and seldom a pair of shorts (i.e. this was a common choice among lesbians to stress their status). She, along with her sister Venus, changed all that and now a tennis court resembles a catwalk. I have always been one to embrace novelty, that's why I am a Serena's fashion fan. She has managed to constantly come up with something new, something exciting, something that instantly made the headlines.

'Humble' beginning

Growing in the shadow of her older sister Venus, Serena was determined to make a name for herself. Leaving aside her shocking hairdo, which was a sort of family trademark, Serena's style was yet to reach the highest heights. During this period (i.e. the late 90s, early 2000s) she wore a relatively similar dress design, but played with vivid colour to complement her dark skin tone. At times she introduced patterns or used see-through materials, but her true fashion maturity was yet to be reached.

In the late 90s, Serena took the world by storm. Although she shared the family trademark hairdo with Venus, she was the first Williams to win a Grand Slam at the 1999 US Open.

@ Miami 2000.

@ Wimbledon 2000 Serena was 'moderate' when it came to fashion. Not sure anything associated with her can come off as 'moderate', but her dresses followed the same pattern. The variation lay in the colours, her hairdos and her accessories.

During the second half of 2000. The first time she introduced see-through fabrics. Another plus for the prints.

'The Panther' @ the beginning of the 2001 season. A plus for the hairdo.

'Mesmerizing Yellow' @ the 2001 US Open 2001. It was a time when the American was 100% fit and the colour contrast did wonder in showcasing her toned body. A plus for the back, which spices up the dress.

'The Princess Within' throughout the 2002 season. A recently crowned world number 1,Serena wanted to emphasize her status by wearing a tiara during Wimbledon. The same dress, featuring an impressive bold colour palette. Her Cameroon outfit was by far the most talk-about piece in this set, turning heads when she wore it in the first round of Roland Garros.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

This was the time when the American unleashed all her creative power. She exploited unknown territories for tennis fashion and she pushed people to the edge. In a way she was the pioneer for a sexier on court presence, always pushing boundaries and revealing more. Many of her most memorable outfits can be found in this time span. The 2002 US Open, when she showcased the infamous catsuit, was an important step in her transformation. Soon after, she started wearing different clothing pieces. Shorts, skirts, innovative tops, jumpsuits were all beginning to form Serena's on court wardrobe. The 2004 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami marked the beginning of a new phase in her fashion journey, a phase in which Serena chose to dare the public by pushing the limits and breaking norms. After ending her sponsorship deal with PUMA, the American signed $40 million contract with Nike. Although once more she was given her own line, this time, Serena took the bull by the horn and never looked back. Serena had a vision of how her style would look like.  She used that year's Roland Garros to prepare the world for what would be the most shocking tennis outfit in history, which was due for later that year. When the time came and the US Open began, many thought the American mistook the court for the catwalks of the New York Fashion Week. Armed with an impressive collection featuring a dress, a top, a jeans skirt, a pair of hot pants, a leather jacket and the infamous knee-high boots, Serena had everyone on fire once again. People accused her of sheer mockery, of trivializing the game, of focusing more on style and image rather than on substance and on court performance. She was even banned to wear her boots during matches. As expected, the whole publicity stunt did not cause any damage. Moreover it reinforced to the younger Williams, the perfect way of ensuring the desired media coverage. Consequently, more scandalous outfits followed, the ultimate being the one she wore at the 2006 Australian Open when we has practically naked. I truly believe this period represents the paramount of her career both as a tennis player and a fashionista.

'Catwoman' @ US Open 2002. The infamous catsuit is now a part of fashion and tennis history.

'A Clockwork Orange' throughout the 2003 season.

'Serena - The Warrior' @ the 2004 Nasdaq-1000 Open in Miami. She made a welcomed return showcasing this silvery outfit, resembling the Ancient Greek Goddesses. She dismissed the criticism about her Swarovski embedded S.E.R.E.N.A. headscarf, by claiming the title after thrashing Russian Elena Dementieva in the final.

'Look at Me!' @Roland Garros 2004. Although she dazzled with her new glittery belly pierce, pink was not her colour this time, as she fell to compatriot Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals.

The 'Rag Serena' @ Wimbledon & Los Angeles 2004. Serena complemented a rag dress with a rag performance to lose her Wimbledon crown to Russian Maria Sharapova.

'The Rock Chick' or 'The top of the iceberg' @ US Open 2004. I really liked these clothes, especially the black dress in the top-right corner.

'The Ballerina' @ WTA Championships 2004.

'Feel The Vibe!' @ the Australian Open & Miami 2005. A really elaborated design to help her body breathe better during matches. And it surely helped her, as the American won her second Melbourne trophy.

@ Rome 2005

'Autumnly Plum' @ 2005 Wimbledon & US Open. I think her Wimbledon dress is probably one of her best choices. It's simple, but yet edgy and unique. A great mix.

'Naked Pistachio' @ Australian Open 2006. Wearing an outfit with a see-through bottom half, Serena once again used fashion to ensure media attention.

'Lemonade' @ Cincinnati 2006.

'Gold Digger' @ US Open 2006. A plus for the powerful print. Again this is one of those dresses that probably only Serena could wear.

Chillin' down

After an injury marred 2006, Serena was determined to show the world she is still a force to be reckoned with. In true Serena fashion, she bounced back at the top by winning the 2007 Australian Open. Growing older and struggling to recapture her past fitness, the American changed her style, saying goodbye to her sexy pieces and turning to more classical outfits. She probably didn't feel the same urge to shock, to outrage and thus she tried to bring more style to her on court looks. Though, it's true that probably none of her dresses can ever be called 'common' or 'simple'. She kept them edgy, but in a more subtle, classy way. Overall, this is a period when she had some major misses and which doesn't really match her prior creative strength. However, the red dress she wore at the 2008 US Open and the Grey/ Orange outfit she showcase at the 2009 French Open are two fashion masterpieces.

Beginning of the 2007 season. I really didn't like the 'Brazilian Fan' dress she wore in Melbourne. I find the mixture of intense green and yellow too tiring for the eye. If we take into consideration that in Australia the courts and balls are green, this effect is amplified. She was even accused by some of her opponents that she deliberately chose this combination to made it difficult for them see the ball. Definitely one of her worst fashion choices. It proved efficient though, as the American mocked the critics and won her third Australian Open crown.

'Cool Apron' @ Roland Garros & Wimbledon 2007.

@ US Open 2007 

@ Stuttgart 2007

'Working Out' @ Australian Open 2008. A big miss in my opinion. Resembles a practice outfit, perfect for going to the gym or jogging. It lacks the sophistication or the innovation of her regular clothing.

@ Miami 2008

@ Roland Garros 2008

@ 2008 Beijing Olympics

'Red-Hot Class' @ US Open 2008. Serena featuring one of her best dresses in recent years won her third Flushing Meadow title. Classical design with a bit of edge due to the powerful colour.

@ Sydney 2009

The 'Balloon' @ Australian Open 2009. Serena looked roundish in this mini skirt. A minus for the print in the second picture.

'True Colours' @ Miami & Roland Garros 2009. I really like the bright orange pieces which once again accentuate her dark skin tone. A plus for the Roland Garros outfit.

'Inspector Poirot' @ Wimbledon 2009: I find the trench a really uninspired choice. Definitely a fashion oops even for rainy London.

'No Stress For The Dress' @ Toronto 2009: A medium sleeved blouse and a common white skirt, this outfit is

 far below Serena's usual standards.

'Murder on the Dancefloor' @ US Open 2009. A lineswoman barely escaped the rage Serena felt when she was accused of committing a foot fault during her semifinal clash with Kim Clijsters.

@ WTA Championships 2009.

'Banana Flavour' @ Australian Open 2010.

@ Rome 2010.

@ Roland Garros 2010.

'Strawberry Vanilla' @ Wimbledon 2010. Serena found yet another way to dare the conservative English public by wearing the pink underpants. I minus for the bolero, which doesn't complement her robust figure.

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