Hi everyone, welcome back to SportsVerse, my twice-weekly newsletter that tells stories you can’t find anywhere else about the intersection of sports, fashion, business, and culture.
The first few days of the Australian Open—marked by record crowds, high-profile fashion moments and a slew of associated commercial activity and collaborations—confirmed beyond all doubt that tennis will be perhaps the most relevant and coveted sport in the eyes of brands from the fashion and beauty industries in 2026 (challenged closely by football, of course, given the fast-approaching World Cup).
But before we get into analysing the brand and athlete activity at the Australian Open so far, let’s remember how we got here.
There’s no doubt that tennis experienced an unprecedented wave of wider cultural interest in 2025. Fresh eyeballs brought an equally unprecedented level of commercial activity converging on the game and its athletes, particularly from the fashion industry, which has always been keen on tennis for its high society associations. Luxury brands like Bottega flooded into the sport, signing athletes as ambassadors and incorporating them into their wider marketing efforts. Miu Miu and New Balance collaborated to create bespoke products and marketing moments with Coco Gauff, forming one of the most effective and coveted partnerships in the world of tennis. The likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton benefited from their association with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.
Meanwhile, Sportswear brands also got a big boost from the sport’s rising global appeal among new fans: On found itself well-positioned to capitalise given the diligent groundwork it had put in over the past few years, perfecting its product and signing a compelling roster of young athletes, as well as big-name cultural figures like Burna Boy. Others, like Lululemon, benefited greatly from Nike’s deconsolidation of its once-sizeable tennis roster, signing up the likes of Frances Tiafoe at the end of their contracts. Both the Swoosh and Adidas began to lean heavily back into tennis after steering relatively clear in recent years, with the former pooling its investment behind its core key stars (Alcaraz, Sinner, Sabalenka, etc.) and working on special projects with Naomi Osaka, while the latter introduced its Y-3 sub-label to the sport for its US Open collection.
Tournaments like the US Open also received unprecedented levels of casual fan interest, brand partnerships and influencer activity. I profiled Vicente Munoz’s Pro Shop NYC, a beautifully curated tennis-retail concept which hosted a multitude of pop-ups in the lead up to and throughout the tournament.
Even the comprehensive rundown of just the tennis stories I covered last year doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of just how much fresh brand activity happened around the sport last year. (For even more regular and granular takes on the world of tennis, I’d suggest going to Hard Hitting and Hard Court.)
The Australian Open has become so much more than a tennis tournament. And while that’s not for everyone—some traditional fans have their own views on the role these things should or shouldn’t play in the sport—it’s clear to see that fashion and beauty now play a vital role in tennis as an entertainment product, both on- and off-court.
The most talked about moment of the Open so far is, of course, Naomi Osaka’s spectacular first-round entrance, wearing an elaborate custom outfit (created in collaboration with couturier Robert Wun) over her Nike playing attire. Naturally, there was a well-timed exclusive with Vogue, which spilt the details of their collaboration.
This is by a long way Osaka’s most daring showing so far, but one which indicates her increasing role as both a tennis player and a fashion muse. The fact that she cleared her Instagram of all content, save for the three posts of this outfit, also tells us a lot about how this is so much more than a bit of fun. It’s very much an intentional strategy designed to drive engagement far beyond tennis.
It seems the first round is where players in tennis are gravitating towards for eye-catching “tunnel walk” moments. It makes sense. The first match of the main draw is as good a time as any to reveal a new outfit or collaboration, while the stakes in the tournament are still (relatively) low.
Players are also leaning more into beauty for on-court moments, too. Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova caused a big stir when she walked out for her first round match (which she went on to lose to Madison Keys) wearing temporary tattoos on her face.
Meanwhile, the case for beauty’s role in the Grand Slam experience has been further reinforced by the role of Mecca as the Australian Open’s official beauty partner. The high end beauty retailer has already made a big impact on this year’s tournament, integrating itself physically with a compelling on-site “Pro Shop” featuring limited edition products and experiences.
Mecca has also been creating a constant stream of content coming out of the “Mecca Beauty Box”, which has already played host to various influencers and VIPs hosted by the retailer.
And finally, Mecca has also made an impression on the players with its touch-up station inside the locker room, getting the likes of Taylor Fritz glammed up for on-court or media appearances.
On the sportswear side of things, New Balance—coming off a stellar 2025 in the world of tennis—has been the most visible from its Australian Open activations. This was in part thanks to a neat collaboration released on the eve of the tournament with PaperBoyParis and the Australian Open itself. Meanwhile, as the official performance footwear and apparel partner of the Open (a sponsorship New Balance has held since 2024), the brand has been able to increasingly assert its dominance at the tournament over its rivals, from a marketing POV at least.
As well as various retail activations in Melbourne and at the New Balance “brand house,” the company has also devised a savvy strategy to infuse the star power of its tennis athletes with those from other areas of the brand and its key non-sporting figures in its network. Here’s what New Balance had to say:
“New Balance is leveraging its roster of athletes and ambassadors to deliver unexpected experiences that transcend tennis, integrating running, baseball, skating, cricket, etc. into the brand’s global plans. American tennis stars Coco Gauff and Tommy Paul will star in off-court storytelling moments, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at their AO journey; gamer Sydeon will capture and share her AO experience across social platforms, bringing fresh perspectives to global audiences; and Amine will perform at the AO Precinct. Additionally, Australian’s men’s cricket captain Pat Cummins, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, former Canadian tennis player Genie Bouchard, actress Storm Reid, and pro Numeric skateboarders will be featured in bespoke content and events hosted by the brand in Australia and beyond.”
That’s all for today, but I’ll be keeping close tabs on the Open as it progresses, as well as tennis in general this year. So stay tuned for more.
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Steph Curry wore On’s The Roger Pro Fire tennis sneakers to warm up in pre-game. It’s the first time On shoes have been worn by a player on an NBA court. It’s certainly not an indication that Curry is signing for On, but it’s great exposure for the brand, which just keeps getting these invaluable (and free) marketing moments as it continues to expand its reach in North America.
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Samuel Ross, founder and former owner of cult streetwear brand A-Cold-Wall, was appointed creative director of wearables company, Whoop.
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Lewis Hamilton was at Jonathan Anderson’s Dior show in some mighty fine tailoring. That’s all.
That’s all for today, friends. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
See you next week,
DYM
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