Friends Georgina Jeffries from Albert Park and Sian Redgrave from Melbourne have embraced the fashionable all-white trend, a clear nod to tennis's signature colour. This sartorial choice reflects a broader shift happening at Melbourne Park, where spectators are increasingly dressing up, transforming the event into a style spectacle as much as a sporting one.
The Evolution of Courtside Attire
Something significant is happening sartorially at the Australian Open. Beyond the official partnerships with global fashion brands like Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Polo Ralph Lauren, visitors are elevating their personal style. Men are opting for tailored knee-length shorts, leather loafers, and softly textured button-down shirts. Women are choosing pretty mid-to-ankle length dresses paired with sneakers or flat sandals.
While the overall aesthetic at the country's biggest sporting event—which organisers expect to inject over $600 million into the economy—retains a preppy feel with jumpers tied around shoulders and T-shirts tucked into high-waisted trousers, the atmosphere is decidedly more inclusive than a traditional country-club setting. The energy suggests that almost everyone looks ready to pick up a racket and take to the court at a moment's notice.
A Deliberate Fashion Elevation
The fashion is so much more elevated than it has ever been, says interior designer Georgina Jeffries, who attends the Australian Open annually. All of the events, the hospitality on offer, and the overall experience have advanced enormously, elevating the crowd as well.
This elevation is no accident. Over years, Tennis Australia's chief executive Craig Tiley has deliberately pursued the festivalisation of the event to attract larger crowds. The strategy is proving successful, with record-breaking attendance this year averaging 100,000 people through the gates each of the first five days. The crowd is buzzing and social, treating tennis as an appetiser to lounging in large groups outside the courts, enjoying burgers from Shake Shack and Aperol spritzers while networking—or flirting.
Signature Styles and Influences
Jeffries' outfit—a cream mid-length dress with a black knit tied around her waist and mesh Mary-Jane ballet flats—captures the contemporary mood. It evokes 1990s New York City style icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy but with less of the elitism often associated with east coast US Wasp culture.
When approached, Jeffries, who lives in Lorne, and Sian Redgrave exude the happy energy of friends at a barbecue. In a nod to tennis's signature colour, Redgrave wears all white—a popular choice—consisting of jeans and a shirt over a singlet, accessorised with a black leather belt and fishermen's sandals.
It's the merger of fashion and sport, says Redgrave, a chef from Sydney. People are definitely dressing up more. It's really an event, which is nice for Australia.
Designer Collaborations and Brand Activations
This merger has been actively pushed and capitalised on by both local and international designers. Luxury brand Gucci, whose ambassadors include top-ranked players Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, hosted an influencer dinner before the tournament. Sport brand Reebok launched a new collection fronted by Mia Hewitt and India Rafter, daughters of Australian tennis greats Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter.
Local designer Viktoria & Woods teamed up with US tennis brand Wilson on a pop-up at the brand's Emporium boutique. Another local designer, Henne, has dressed tennis WAGs Paige Lorenze and Sophia Sinacola. Meanwhile, cosmetic conglomerate Mecca has installed a three-story, hot pink retail activation on site.
Contrast with Spring Racing Carnival
It's hard not to draw comparisons to the Spring Racing Carnival, where poured-on polyester cocktail dresses are chosen over high-waisted cotton shorts, and stilettos are favoured over sneakers—notably, the members' enclosure rules prohibit above-the-knee shorts and sports shoes.
Despite once being a premier event, horse racing has seen its cultural cache plummet. Racing Victoria reported a $20 million loss over two years, and its attendance numbers pale in comparison to the tennis. In 2025, 286,746 people attended the four-day event, whereas before this year's Open had even begun, 217,999 people had shown up for qualifying matches alone.
Perhaps the decline in relevance is most notable in its major sponsorships. Despite once being considered a key event on the fashion calendar and a boom time for retail, not a single fashion brand now has an official relationship with the Spring Racing Carnival.
The Tennis as a Long Lunch
In terms of appeal, if the races is a nightclub, the tennis is a long lunch. There are no heels slowly sinking into the grass, no fake-tanned shoulders shivering in unpredictable weather, and no one is turned away for not wearing a tie. The fabrics are breathable, the styling features layers, the trousers are tailored, and the shoes are sensible.
There remains a spectrum of dressiness: T-shirts, cargo shorts, Birkenstocks, and caps do not feel out of place beside linen shirts, silk dresses, and lightweight blazers.
The tennis is good because it brings everyone together, says Freya Lewis, a fashion student from Melbourne. There's no specific dress code, so it gives people free rein to express themselves. You don't have to be super fancy; you can be a bit more casual, more chic.
Lewis wears a pale blue floor-length dress with comfortable shoes—a pairing that could be the look of the fortnight, echoing a similar outfit from two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka, who unfortunately withdrew last week, walked onto the court for her first-round match wearing an ensemble created in collaboration with Nike and designer Robert Wun, which became a global talking point.
Inspired by a butterfly that landed on her face during a match at the 2021 tournament—which she went on to win—the long, floaty pleated skirt layered over her tennis dress was accessorised with a wide-brimmed hat draped in a veil, a parasol, and, of course, sneakers.
