You know how the runt of the litter is usually the feisty one? Scrappiness grows out of necessity: Fight or starve.
Same principle applies in tennis. Some of the most dogged competitors on the pro tour are average-sized, or even petite. Too often, we treat shortness as some sort of handicap, when in fact it can be a source of strength. The current #1 on the women’s tour, Simona Halep, is the shortest of the top ten, at a compact but powerful 5 feet 6:
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Next week marks the start of the Connecticut Open in New Haven. Last year’s final featured two of the shortest players on tour: Daria Gavrilova (5 feet 5 inches) and Dominika Cibulkova (5 feet 3 inches).
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(That’s Gavrilova on the right, lording it over Cibulkova.)
Tall players have greater reach at net and can fire bigger serves. But their more diminutive colleagues usually enjoy greater speed and agility. Halep, Gavrilova and Cibulkova are all fine examples of this competitive edge.
When it comes to tennis, size isn’t everything…and it isn’t everything when it comes to fashion, either. Much fuss is made over height in the modeling world, but the shorty club includes head-turners like Megan Fox, Hayden Panettiere, Scarlett Johansson, and Mother of Dragons Emilia Clarke, all fashionistas under 5 feet 5.
So let’s look at the tennis fashion at last year’s fun-sized final in New Haven. Gavrilova, the current title holder, is wearing a blue and white Asics ensemble. The diagonal stripes provide an extra visual pop to the sky blue shirt, while the white skirt offers just enough flutter to keep things interesting. This outfit’s cheeriness perfectly complements Gavrilova’s gutsy optimism:
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Meanwhile, Cibulkova sports an orange and white Lacoste dress, with a dropped waist and pleated skirt. Cibulkova likes to strut her stuff in tight dresses, and this outfit is no exception. The cut of her clothes can sometimes border on the tawdry, but here the flare of the pleats provides proportion and balance to her silhouette:
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Whatever you think of their fashion sense, you gotta love the heart in these pint-sized powerhouses.
Not only is it Fashion Face-off day, it’s also my birthday! Woo-hoo! Now, cast your votes and let’s eat cake!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Did you buy your new tennis outfit?
I’m not usually a fan of tucked-in tops, but Halep rocks this outfit. I love the colors, too. I’d put Gavrilova as a close second. I’m not a fan of the white-skirt-up-to-her-boobs look. I’m not sure this qualifies as much departure from tawdry.
The Halep outfit is cute. Lots of pros wearing that so I expect to see a lot of it at the US Open. And then I’ll be sick of it!
I haven’t bought my outfit yet. I didn’t really earn it for the serving challenge, but I want a new outfit anyway. Plus everyone else is sick of seeing me in the same tennis clothes. Buying myself a new outfit is like a gift for my fellow players. (You’re welcome.)