The bright spots of a lackluster US Open (and why Osaka gets the best Nike kits)

Sincaraz boredom takes hold, Anisimova and FAA shine, and insider deets on why Naomi Osaka gets the best Nike kits.

The Replay

A lackluster US Open

While this US Open has certainly delivered on the fashion front (I covered it all for Vogue Business here) and we’ve had at least one great WTA storyline (thank you, Amanda Anisimova), the men’s tennis has left something to be desired. Last year, there were so many thrilling men’s matchups, of which the outcomes did not yet feel inevitable — Sinner vs. Draper (a comedy of absolute chaos), Fritz vs. Tiafoe (two best friends fighting to make their first Slam final, sign me up), and so on. I was staying upstate at the time, ostensibly to get away from the “noise,” and yet found myself completely sucked into my laptop for hours each day. This year, the later rounds on the men’s side have felt like more of an afterthought — an “Oh, I guess I’ll turn that on” situation.

I’m bored, people. Bored of Sincaraz dominance, bored of Novak Djokovic gatekeeping other players from at least trying to get on their level (which they never will if they don’t get opportunities to play them), bored. It’s not the fault of these guys that they’re so talented, of course, but man, I don’t think I can take another decade of repeat finals. For those who say “but the Big 3 was the same way,” well, it actually wasn’t. For starters, there were three of them (and while Djokovic is still better than most players on tour, I don’t think he’s winning another Slam unless Sincaraz both miraculously combust), alongside Andy Murray and a handful of others who still managed to grab Slam titles despite their dominance. And this is the first time in the Open era that we’re going to have the same men’s singles final in three out of the four slams in one year (with Sinner showing up in all four). So there really is less variety, and I’m not yet convinced that the random names thrown around as likely to spoil the party (Draper, Shelton, Fils???) are going to do that anytime soon. I’ll happily eat my words if they do, though.

I know I just fired some hot shots, so please let me know where your head’s at with ~the current state of things~ in the comments.

The award for excitement goes to Amanda Anisimova and FAA

What did keep me glued to the TV at this year’s Open were the deep runs of Amanda Anisimova and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Let’s start with Anisimova, who could have sunk into herself and spiralled endlessly after she froze in the Wimbledon final and essentially watched on as Iga Swiatek bulldozed her with a double bagel in 57 minutes. But she didn’t do what many others would have—she came back and beat Swiatek handily in two sets in the quarterfinals of the US Open, then beat Naomi Osaka in a tight three-setter, landing her in the finals today against Aryna Sabalenka. The Swiatek win alone is a sign of enormous mental strength, an attribute of pro athletes that I find even more compelling than what they do with their bodies. It stems in part from the fact that Anisimova has had to be tough and work through trauma from a very young age, as explored in this great profile by Caira Conner in New York Magazine. In the spirit of the title of that piece, whatever happens today, Anisimova will walk away a winner.

Now, if you had told me before the US Open that Felix Auger-Aliassime would make it to the semifinals, I’d be in some state of shock. He’s had a tough few years, and I had just watched him lose in the first round of Toronto (his home tournament) to Fabian Marozsan in two frustratingly error-prone sets. I’ve always had a soft spot for FAA, who got a lot of hype when he first broke out on tour and was christened by his then-coach Toni Nadal, but my expectations since then had dwindled. It’s fair to say that’s completely changed after his epic US Open run where he knocked out Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, and Alex de Minaur — three players who most have considered higher caliber in recent years. He topped it off by actually tussling with Sinner in the semifinal, doing the near-impossible by breaking him to take the second set. Although he ultimately lost, it was one of the first matches against Sinner not involving Alcaraz that actually felt close. I really hope the Canadian can keep this level up for the rest of the year — a post-wedding glow can only help, right?

Bublik makes a mockery of the sport (and himself)

As I wrote on Notes earlier this week, Alexander Bublik is a hilarious character and can be a joy to watch when he’s firing on all cylinders. But he’s said in past interviews that when he feels a match isn’t going his way, he essentially accepts it and gives up, which was on full display this past week when he played Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16. After getting broken early in the first set, he acted unbothered, laughing and joking around like it was an exhibition, even going so far as to try an underarm serve twice in a row after the first one fell short of the net. His “I don’t really care” attitude is not only unappealing, but I also think it’s BS—a defense mechanism to soften the blow of frustration and humiliation that he must be feeling when he’s down and out. It’s very Kyrgios-esque, and that’s never a good thing.

He’s done this before, taking it a step further at times, like at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2024, where he abruptly retired in a match against Pablo Carreño Busta after going down 3-4 in the final set despite not having an injury.

Bublik has often said that his life doesn’t revolve entirely around tennis, and I respect and even admire that, but if you’re going to show up on these big stages and not take it seriously, or throw in the towel the second adversity strikes, you’re going to lose fans fast.

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Kitted

How Naomi Osaka gets cool Nike fits (when no one else does)

I wondered in a recent issue why Naomi Osaka was still getting cool, custom night and day kits from Nike when none of the brand’s higher-ranked players are, and had one Nike insider spill what they could. Let’s break it down (with anonymous quotes to protect their privacy):

• Osaka’s star power: Osaka transcends the sport in a way that Sinner, Alcaraz, and Sabalenka have yet to really do, particularly on the fashion front. When she wears something, it gets a lot more eyeballs. “A lot of these custom looks are coming from the lifestyle/brand team—rather than the tennis team—who see it as an opportunity to drive a fashion conversation and connect with women [on a broader scale],” said the source. “It’s definitely seen as a way to drive a bigger brand moment for Nike that can transcend tennis.”

• Osaka has a mainline collection with Nike: Unlike some of the other top tennis players, Osaka has branded shoes, like the new GP Challenge 1 “Naomi Osaka” sneaker, and a collection of fashion-forward tops and dresses (most of which are, notably, on sale). “She’s getting more investment to try to drive awareness towards that,” added the source.

• Osaka actually cares about fashion: Osaka has been known for her fashionable on-court looks since the early days of her career, and she’s the main driving force behind that. “She very much sees design and style as part of her brand, so she’s actively pushing Nike to let her do these things,” said the source. A lot of athletes, like Zheng Qinwen, decline to wear more adventurous looks because they’re either too shy or feel it will detract from their performance. Osaka, on the other hand, “is willing to take risks.”

The question of whether the increased investment in Osaka has paid off was a little trickier for my source to answer. When she first came on the scene, Osaka was “kind of on track to be the next Serena, and Nike was very much using her as the vehicle to drive a style story.” But she’s been “a tricky athlete for us to connect to product” because her game has been so inconsistent, said the source. Osaka took a mental health break in 2021, and when she returned, she lost early often. She then took a 15-month hiatus from tennis to have her daughter and recover from childbirth. To be clear, these are all understandable choices, but they can complicate long-term business deals. “It’s been difficult to land the commercial side of her business, which is important because Nike doesn’t just do these things for their cultural value; it does them to drive product sales,” added the source.

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