Australian Open 2023: Frances Tiafoe crosses another tennis frontier in her ‘Big Foe’ outfit

El tennis was formerly known as ‘the white sport’because it was the norm that in all the clubs he dressed in white impluto: the shirts were white, the long flannel pants and the no less long skirts, and also the balls. It was also recommended that the public also dress as immaculately as the Pope’s cassock.

Around the 30s of the last century things began to become ‘vulgarized’. In 1930 it was already seen playing with Shorts at Wimbledon and in 1933 ‘Bunny’ Austin He saw them on Center Court and if that happens at Wimbledon, imagine on the other courts. As often happens, the ‘earthquake’ came when the offender was a womenGussy Moran dared to wear a short skirt – today it would seem long to us – in 1949, it was the cause of a debate in the House of Commons and the All England Club declared that it had brought “vulgarity and vulgarity” to tennis. sin to tennis.”

Since then tennis has changed: only Wimbledon continues to maintain a dress code, although the ‘white’ color requirement has been lowered to ‘predominantly white’ and dress lengths are no longer a matter of debate (although in the 90s a tennis player was forced to change her skirt and at Roland Garros Serena was banned Williams a model of which he said that she responded to medical requirements of her recent maternity but that, in any case, she wore on the track). Even the iconoclastic Andr Agassi from his beginnings he wore immaculate white in his debut at Wimbledon.

The public You can go however you like although some British tournaments recommend dressing ‘summer chic’. The Australian Open is famous for sometimes resembling a preview carnaval.

Now then: what was seen today in the Kia Arena of the Rod Laver Stadium, in the match between Frances Tiafoe and Daniel Altmaier, has broken all the molds. Last season the American was a player normal of Nike, but this has gone on to create his own personal line of clothes and, obviously, take it to their matches.

In the last United Cup, Frances wore a discreet model, colored bubblegum pink, we could say. But in Melbourne she has presented her line Big Foe, also in collaboration with Nike, and in his debut at the Australian Open he has worn one of his designs with success in terms of notoriety that we can appreciate, because Frances has been the most photographed tennis player on the first day.

What he has offered us has been a model that we could say is somewhat classic, because the back of the shirt is blanca. But the front could be associated with the abstract art of a Jackson Pollockof an Anthony Remains or a robert Dealunaywith some colorful touches that could have signed Mir if warm colors had predominated more. Like the young Nadal, the ‘Big Foe’ shirt does not wear sleeves although instead of pirate pants he has opted for others with a more classic length, up to mid-thigh.

Since Tiafoe beat Altmaier, the ‘Big Foe’ design can still be seen in Melbourne. We will see if second round Frances repeats the model… or exhibits another.