The GOAT aced the 2019 red carpet in a black strapless gown with a red crystal heart motif. The gown was an Armani Privé, Armani’s high-end, custom couture line. Her coiffure was equally elegant in a long, slick ponytail. She took the stage during the ceremony to present a clip for Best Picture nominee A Star Is Born. For someone experienced being on center court and under pressure, her voice was a bit shaky on center stage!
Earlier this week reporters spotted Serena in NYC having dinner with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, who was in town for her baby shower, which would explain why Qai Qai was spotted in a NYC pizza joint and on the set of a television show with Olympia’s father. (As an aside, Qai Qui has more Instagram followers than many of the pros on tour). Check out the Pro Shop themed by Serena’s Red Carpet Style.
Written by Guest Contributor and Tennis Player SHL
During the Australian Open, one could not help but be aware of the time. Not only was there the 16 hour time difference, but the Rolex clock, the official time keeper of the Aussie Open, was a constant reminder that day was night, night was in the morning, and the matches were on tape delay.
More interesting to the horologists, though, were the watches we were watching while watching tennis.
The grandest timepiece of the first Grand Slam of the year was
worn by Rafael Nadal, the brand ambassador for Richard Mille since 2010. Rafa was wearing their latest and greatest, a
RM 27-03, weighing in at 20 grams, or about the weight of 8 pennies. The watch can withstand shocks of 10,000g’s
and is powered by tourbillion with 70 hours of power reserve. Designed in the colors of the flag of Spain,
it retails for $725,000. Because it is
made in a limited edition of 50 pieces, only Rafa, you, and 48 other people in
the world would have one if you chose to splurge.
Alas, though, even with all that technology and tourbillion
power on his wrist, Rafa was no match for Novak Djokovic, who wore the Seiko Astron
GPS Solar watch, but only for the trophy presentation. Djokovic has been on team Seiko since 2014.
On the women’s side, the current number 1 player and Australian Open winner, Naomi Osaka, sported the new CITIZEN Eco-Drive Bluetooth BZ4004-06E featuring the brand’s proprietary Super Titanium 2 strong and lightweight case. The watch is priced at 75,000 ¥, which equates to about $680. The new style will be released on March 7, 2019 in a limited production of 1,000 units. Previously Osaka won the US Open wearing the CITIZEN Eco-Drive Bluetooth BZ4006-01E. I was momentarily distracted when I noticed this this watch during her match because of the distinctive orange strap. CITIZEN boasts that the vivid orange color motif is inspired by Osaka’s “striking, dynamic tennis performance style.” Osaka has been its brand ambassador since September of 2018.
In Melbourne, Osaka beat Petra Kvitova, who is a
TAG Heuer brand ambassador. Osaka won in New York at the U.S. Open by defeating
Serena Williams, who wore her Audemars Piguet Millenary.
Because time and tennis go hand-in-hand, keep watching!
It appears that Naomi Osaka took my advice to heart. In my February 1, 2019 post, I proposed that
we each ponder our connections with others this Valentine’s Day. Yesterday, the number one ranked player in
the world broke up with her coach, Sascha Bajin.
Osaka, the first Asian player to earn the number one ranking ever, made this announcement a few weeks after she took home the Australian Open title. That followed her win at the U.S. Open this past September, where she defeated Serena in a match memorable for other reasons. Earlier that same year, under Bajin’s stewardship, she won her first professional title at Indian Wells. Why break up now after this level of sequential success? Maybe, as George Costanza would say, she decided to leave on a high note. Or maybe he did.
The tweet from 21-year old Osaka announcing the parting was all millennial casual, beginning with “Hey everyone…” Bajin returned a lob with an equally breezy response that included the annoying Hollywood awards ceremony prayer hands emoji. But despite the fawning tweets, trouble had been brewing. Commentators now point to an interview at the Australian Open where Osaka said she really didn’t talk to Bajin before the finals. But what underlies the spit remains to be seen, but the good news is that in tennis, breaking up is not hard to do.
A benefit of the 16 hour time difference with Melbourne, Australia is that you can watch tennis when you wake up at 3:00 a.m. It was exquisite: turn the TV on, watch the match in the Rod Laver Arena and then be lulled back to sleep by the pop, whoo, pop, whoo, pop, whoo…. But my take away after the conclusion of this year’s first Grand Slam event is that professional tennis players are just like us.
We expect professionals to be perfect. But that’s simply not true. The Australian Open showed that the pros are
just like us.
Pros whiff balls, as Rafa did in the finals; they crash and burn and then remerge like a phoenix, sometimes all in the same match, as darling Naomi Osaka did in the women’s finals; they crumble before our very eyes, as both GOATs did; and they make fashion statements that make us scratch our heads. Several hold a place in our hearts with their beaming smiles or their dimples (we love you, Sloane!). A few capture our hearts by their fierce appearance on the scene, such as Frances Tiafoe, whom we loved watching play with Serena at the Hopman Cup. Some delight us with the upset, such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others by their nearly flawless performance, such as Djokovic’s in the men’s finals. And some touch to our hearts with the obstacles they’ve overcome, like Petra Kvitova.
So if you are frustrated on the court, in the office or at home because things are not going your way, remember: the pros are like us and have bad days too.
Serena Williams at the Australian Open. Credit Getty Images.
Valentine’s Day is an auspicious time to start this tennis lifestyle blog because both involve, well, love. This quote by one of the most curious authors reminds us that love is about our connection to those around us. Those whom we love and those who love us. Tennis is also about love. Although it means zero, it also symbolizes our connection to the beginning of a match or a new game, and a continuity with history and this centuries’ old pastime. This Valentine’s Day, let’s ponder all of our connections with love in our hearts!
