As there is no Grand Slams going on currently (Australian Open, US Open, French Open, and Wimbledon) a flurry of smaller men’s and women’s tournaments have taken its place. These range in points from 125 to 1000, and recently, the China Open (1000 points) took place. This is a tournament that takes place in Beijing, China, and occurs from September 30-October 8.
This year’s top seeds were some of the most famed names in tennis, such as Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek—the China Open champion. However, a round of 16 match occurred between two equally famous names, Jessica Pegula and Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko, the 13 seed, was victorious over Pegula 6-4 6-2.
Pegula, an American, is sponsored by Adidas. She first came to fame a couple years ago by making an impressive run in the Australian Open. In this match, she wore a bright ceralean blue dress, with varied features and textures that elevated its look greatly. It features a high-neck, with pleated and layered skirts that provide a stark contrast from the rest of the dress. The dress’ skirts include black and white stripes, the cerulean blue seen on the rest of the dress, and a lighter blue; all of which contribute to its eye-appealing ability. The dress is also accented by a zipper near the neckline.
I personally love this dress—I am a big fan of high-neck tennis dresses, as to me they emulate class. The blue is eye-catching and I adore the multi-layered skirts. I think the choice to include black and white stripes in the skirts was interesting, however, and it is not my favorite. But one of the dress’ most appealing facets is that it is composed of at least 70% recycled materials; this is part of Adidas’s pledge to fight plastic waste. As I support any environmental-forward efforts, I praise Adidas for this.
Lily’s Analysis:
Style: (colors, fabric, composition) 8/10
Function: (comfort, breathability) 9/10 (due to Adidas’s AEROREADY moisture-wicking technology)
Pegula’s opponent, Ostapenko, stepped out in a unique dress by DK One. This under-the-radar Lativian brand has sponsored Ostapenko since 2020. It is grey, with panels of a colorful pattern near the arms. It then levels off into a basic pleated skirt in the same grey color. The fit of this dress is interesting-rather than the standard slim fit on most dresses, it is quite loose, especially near the top. Initially, I liked Ostapenko’s outfit choice, but with closer analysis I don’t. It’s quite basic, not very attention-catching, and the fitting is one I’d never wear.
Further details on this dress are unknown, as it isn’t available for retail. Additionally, her choice to pair her grey-blue dress with orange sweatbands is hideous. I’m aware blue and orange are contrasting colors, but I’m not a fan; her red Wilson shoes don’t help when it comes to the colors of her overall outfit.
Lily’s Analysis:
Style: (colors, fabric, composition) 3/10
Function: (comfort, breathability) 3/10
Between these two outfits, I prefer Pegula’s by a landslide. The fit, colors, and fabric details are all better compared to Ostapenko’s, and her outfit is simply better pulled together.
