When Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer set Australian Open on fire with hot pink

Whoever thought of giving pink the slip at this year’s Australian Open, had to do a rethink. As the pictures show, it was the colour with game.

Top-ranked players at the Australian Open faced a scorcher of a weather, but that didn’t stop them from setting the courts alight with this year’s colour of choice. Sporting pink or a hint of it, these gentlemen have been compared to salmon, marker pens, bubble gum and liquorice all-sorts (by Andy Murray’s mother no less). The fact of the matter however is that this vibrant shade was chosen to intimidate. Sam Shipley, apparel design director for NikeCourt, said, “We worked closely with the colour team on finding the best shades for the most impactful read off the incredible blue courts. We wanted something that vibrates when you see it on screen.” Pink it was. Take a look at some of the tennis stars in their power pink getup.

Grigor Dimitrov

The Bulgarian pro breaks up his all-pink look with strategically placed black accents. But there’s no shying away from the hue for Dimitrov who rocks the colour on his wrist band and racquet as well.

Juan Martin del Potro

Perhaps he wasn’t feeling pretty good in pink, which made the Argentinian player only opt for the bare minimum in pink. But he keeps the rest of his outfit neutral, which lets the pink stand out for added effect.

Nick Kyrgios

The energetic Australian makes a good case for the classic pink and black combo. Wearing the colours from head to toe, Kyrgios aces the look but tones down the shocking shade by opting for black shoes with just a touch of pink detailing.

Rafael Nadal
By far the prettiest in pink, Nadal’s grey compliments the outfit perfectly, which works not to distract but enhance the bright shade of pink. He’s put together the look, matching his shorts and jersey to his shoes. Match(ing) on point!

Roger Federer
We’re sure the Swiss player got a volley of compliments for this look. With an otherwise all-white outfit, the hot pink shoes, complete with a pattern of Flinders Street Station with the number ‘five’ to signify how many times he’s won the tournament, is the main focus of his sleek outfit. It’s all love for this get-up.