The U.S. Open is well underway as we enter the second week of the singles draws at Flushing Meadows.
As the final major of the year, the U.S. Open brings plenty of tradition along with it. The night sessions at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the great mashup of celebrities who make their way in for the festivities and of course, the iconic "Honey Deuce" cocktail garnished with three melon tennis ball lookalikes.
Another tradition that becomes a fun discussion point is the player's new, and sometimes flashy, kits they wear from their various sponsors over their run at the tournament. The top men's players have provided plenty to talk about in the form of their wardrobes this year, including some sponsorships we're seeing for the first time at the U.S. Open—cue Jack Draper's shiny new partnership with Vuori and Frances Tiafoe decked out in lululemon after he began rocking their gear full-time earlier this year. Plus, of course Nike had to bring some fresh looks for world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz.
Without further ado, here are the five best men's kits we've seen on the court at this year's U.S. Open:
5. Jannik Sinner
Fans of the movie Challengers instantly realized Sinner's red and white Nike kit gave off all the Art Donaldson vibes. That comparison hits quite well, as Sinner entered the U.S. Open as the ATP world No. 1 and the favorite to win the tournament. The red Nike fit is certainly understated, but it's clean and fits the player's sound dominance which isn't flashy, but supremely efficient and successful.
4. Novak Djokovic
The pursuit of a 25th major needs the proper fit to match. Djokovic got just that with the all-black Lacoste kit he's wearing under the lights at the U.S. Open. He even got an incredible custom jacket that he gets to rock before and after his matches at the U.S. Open. Lacoste also released a special collection where they replaced their classic crocodile logo with a "GOAT" emblem to honor one of the greatest players of all time. He has made it through to the fourth round in pursuit of major No. 25, with a potential showdown in the quarterfinals with top American Taylor Fritz looming.
3. Frances Tiafoe
Although Tiafoe's red tiger-striped lululemon kit drew warranted comparisons to Aryna Sabalenka's tennis bag, it definitely drew some eyes at the U.S. Open. The American and current world No. 17 left Nike for lululemon earlier this year and the move has certainly helped him stand out amongst the crowd. Tiafoe has played some of the best tennis in his career at the U.S. Open, making runs to the semifinals last year and in 2022. That won't be the case this year as he fell to German Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets during his third-round match.
2. Jack Draper
Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Draper's new Vuori kit at Flushing Meadows for long. He withdrew from the tournament after his first-round win due to a lingering arm injury. The ATP world No. 5 inked a new deal with California-based apparel brand Vuori ahead of the U.S. Open. The kit was super clean and looked insanely comfortable. After the unfortunate withdrawal ahead of his second-round match, we'll see Draper in Vuori for years to come.
1. Carlos Alcaraz
Although Alcaraz's new haircut has gotten all the buzz, literally, his Nike kit is worthy off some discussion too. The dark purple from head to toe is too clean, especially with the jacket to match that he wears before and after matches. He wears the dark purple at night and switches to a pink top for day matches. As a favorite to win the tournament alongside his rival Sinner, Alcaraz's awesome kit is the clear top choice of those we've seen at Flushing Meadows.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Look Good, Play Good: Ranking the Five Best On-Court U.S. Open Men’s Kits.
