Nike's "huge troupe of performers" at the Australian Open is outfitted in apparel "designed to make an 'unapologetic visual statement' and give wearers a competitive advantage via 'disruptive patterns,'" according to Liam Mannix of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The collection, "apparently inspired by Melbourne's laneway street art," features various shades "of eyecatching -- or eyewatering, or eyemelting colour." Australian player Nick Kyrgios in his first-round match "managed to look as though his whole lower half had been dipped in glow-in-the-dark paint." Fellow Australian Bernard Tomic "sported a shirt that combined green, pink, and a pattern reminiscent of those Magic Eye eye-puzzles that, if stared at for long enough, reveal a hidden picture." But another Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis, "really stole the show, pairing fluoro green and pink with a fantastic pair of forearm sweatbands." Nike is "using the tournament to advertise the new range." A company spokesperson said that its design team "visited Melbourne a year ago to begin work on the palette for this year's tennis range, where they became enamoured with street art as the perfect symbol of the city" (SMH.com.au, 1/20). Roger Federer discussed his brighter-than-usual apparel following his first-round win against Lu Yen-Hsun and said, "I think it’s about changing it up a bit. I played in these colors much more often when I was younger. I was really in the mood to do it again. As we look at the next year and a half with Nike, sometimes it’s hard to get it done right away. I’m excited about the colors. It’s a bit of change and more pop right now" ("Australian Open,” ESPN2, 1/19).
PAINT IT WHITE: While Nike's bright clothing has drawn headlines during the opening days of the year's first Grand Slam event, not every player is going down the same route. Fila-sponsored Sam Querrey wore a predominently white outfit for his first-round loss against Vasek Pospisil, prompting ESPN's Patrick McEnroe to say, "Querrey apparently has violated the Australian Open rule which demands he wear a day-glo color. He’s paying the fine for wearing the all whites here. It must be a rule because everybody is wearing it” (“Australian Open,” ESPN2, 1/20).
