Aryna Sabalenka Faces Backlash Over ‘Vulgar’ Dress at US Open

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has found herself at the center of attention at the US Open — not only after a shock defeat, but also because of her controversial outfit.

The star-studded pairing of Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, who teamed up to compete in the mixed doubles tournament with a $1 million prize pool, suffered a stunning first-round defeat.

However, it was Sabalenka’s controversial Nike outfit that became the main topic of discussion on social media. The black mesh dress completely exposed a bright orange sports bra and briefs underneath, while the look was completed with chunky jewelry.

Social media users were far from impressed by the bold design, branding it “vulgar” and “tasteless.”

“How about this: Sabalenka leads the parade of street style at the US Open in a fishing net over shorts and a sports bra. Why does New York always attract so much vulgarity?” one commenter wrote on X.

“This clown outfit Sabalenka is wearing simply cannot be real,” another user complained.

Other fans openly expressed their disbelief: “What the hell is Aryna Sabalenka wearing? This mesh and those heavy, tacky accessories. Who dressed her in this?”

Some users, however, defended the tennis star, calling the look fun and deliberately outrageous for the traditionally conservative world of tennis. Others joked that “Nike saw that Sabalenka might lose her No. 1 ranking and decided to punish her with this outfit.”

Sabalenka herself has remained unfazed by the criticism of her fashion experiment since the outfit was unveiled earlier this month.

“I really do think they’ve become more creative and fun lately... I like my outfit. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s totally fine — you can’t please everyone, and that’s exactly why I love fashion,” she said.