Swiatek's Australian Open outfit faces international backlash: all brands seem to be conspiring to create ugly tennis apparel

The sports brand On, supported by Federer’s investment, unveiled Swiatek’s playing kit for the 2026 Australian Open. Nevertheless, this new uniform has been widely panned by fans on social media.

Swiatek has been collaborating with On since March 20, 2023, having signed a full sponsorship contract that includes clothing and shoes, and she is also On’s inaugural female tennis brand ambassador. Besides her, several other tennis players such as Shelton, Kobori, and Fonseca also have partnerships with the brand.

As the 2026 Australian Open approaches, the Swiss company released the latest matchwear designed for the event. A Reddit user shared images of both the men’s and women’s kits: the men’s version features a black and white granular gradient design, while the women’s is predominantly white with blue stripes on the right side of the tank top.

The women’s outfit sparked dissatisfaction among fans, many feeling the design does not do justice to Swiatek. One Reddit user commented, “Here we go again... Iga deserves better.” Another fan bluntly expressed frustration: “Why are their designs always, forever so terrible???”

Another user posted a screenshot of the outfit description and mocked it, saying: “‘Inspired by Iga’s playing style’? What does that even mean???” Other fans remarked, “Honestly, they really aren’t good at designing matchwear. It feels like all the brands are conspiring to make the Australian Open the Grand Slam with the worst-looking outfits.”

Swiatek kicked off her 2026 season at the United Cup, with her most recent match against German player Eva Lys. Lys took the first set 6-3, but the Polish star gradually regained her form and performed strongly in the next two sets, completing a comeback win with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline.

Following Hurkacz’s victory over Zverev, this win also secured Poland’s overall triumph against Germany. After the match, Swiatek attended the press conference and shared her thoughts: “I actually enjoyed the first set because I knew I still had a lot of work to do, so I just focused on that. Throughout the match, I was very aware of what was happening on court and didn’t let emotions cloud my judgment. I knew she was attacking hard and played many impressive down-the-line shots in that first set.”

She added, “Some shots I never expected anyone to go down the line with, but she made them, which was really impressive, so congratulations to her. But I knew what I had to do, so in the second set I tried to adjust a few things. I’d say I actually enjoyed the process because during those tough moments, I had a chance to hone myself, which isn’t easy.” She further stated, “Of course, it’s always easier to win comfortably with a lopsided score, but you also have to learn to appreciate the competition itself.”

On Wednesday, the Polish team swept the Netherlands, advancing again to the quarterfinals thanks to wins by Hurkacz and Swiatek. Poland only needed one match win to secure a spot in the knockout stage but ended up winning all three encounters. Hurkacz opened the tie by defeating Griekspoor 6-3, 7-6(4), ensuring Poland’s qualification early. Swiatek then quickly extended the lead to 2-0, and finally, Poland completed the sweep with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-4 victory in the mixed doubles.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)