Carlos Alcaraz occupies Vanity Fair’s first dedicated global sports issue in a feature that pairs high fashion with the sport’s most discussed rivalry. The profile notes that a wrist injury could keep him out for much of the clay-court season, yet the imagery and story underline how closely the player remains tied to the clay and to tennis culture.

Photographer Ethan James Green shot images of Alcaraz layered in orange clay dust in Miami, styling him in Louis Vuitton, Nike, and Rolex. The feature by José Criales-Unzueta is headlined “King of the Court: Carlos Alcaraz on ‘Living the Dream Life’ and His Rivalry With Jannik Sinner,” and it frames Alcaraz’s commercial presence alongside his on-court achievements.

“What makes Carlos so captivating is the emotion he brings to the game: joy, spontaneity, genuine artistry,” says Pharrell Williams, men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton, in the piece. The story places Alcaraz beside athletes A’ja Wilson and Kylian Mbappé to illustrate sport’s cultural and financial reach.

The profile devotes substantial space to Alcaraz’s dynamic with Jannik Sinner, a pairing already nicknamed “Sincaraz” and presented as the spiritual successor to the Federer, Nadal and Djokovic era. On their relationship, Alcaraz is clear: “We’re showing the world that we can be on court and give our best, and try to do the most possible damage to the other while playing, try to beat each other, and then, off court, just be two guys who get along really well,” he says. “We help each other give our best.”

He adds: “We are fighting for the same goal, but there’s no need to hate each other because we want the same thing,” adding: “When you are competing at this level, having a close friendship is complicated. It can be done. I’m all for it.”

While he accepts flattering comparisons to past greats, Alcaraz concludes that “we’ve reached a point in which comparisons are over.” The Vanity Fair piece captures both the commercial shimmer and the competitive intensity surrounding one of tennis’s leading figures.

Venus Williams brought deliberate symbolism to the 2026 Met Gala, using her couture look to draw attention to a gap in sports research. Co-chairing the event alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Anna Wintour, the seven-time Grand Slam champion translated her own portrait, “Venus Williams, Double Portrait” by Robert Pruitt, into wearable art.

The design drew directly from Pruitt’s 2022 portrait, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery for the Smithsonian Institution’s Portrait of a Nation Gala. In the painting an older Venus faces a younger version of herself; the older figure wears the Wimbledon trophy as a necklace, while the younger stands in a black dress surrounded by strands of her signature white beads. That imagery was echoed in a fully couture black gown featuring a structured corset and sculpted hips and in a sterling silver statement necklace modeled after the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Swarovski Global Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert explained the creative starting point. “For Venus Williams, the starting point was her portrait by Robert Pruitt in which she wears a necklace carrying deep personal meaning a tribute to her family, her roots in Compton, and the people and places that shaped her,” she wrote. “Together, we chose to recreate that necklace as faithfully as possible, translating its symbolism into Swarovski crystal while protecting the spirit and intent of the original piece.”

More than 4,000 Swarovski zirconia and crystals were used in the creation, and the necklace was hand-set with 3,800 stones by two master goldsmiths. Beyond surface glamour, the jewelry contained a specific message: earrings, rings, and other pieces spelled out “6%,” calling attention to the share of global sports science research focused exclusively on women.

The statement coincided with the launch of Gatorade’s Body of Science, a multi-year global research initiative led by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, with Venus serving as its first ambassador. “This work is so important because it’s not just about me, it’s about the women who come after me,” Venus said. “For decades, we’ve pushed our bodies to the limit based on research designed for men.” The initiative will study women’s needs across life stages and key physiological moments, including the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and perimenopause.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will wear a black-and-red Nike “supersuit” as she prepares for Roland Garros, unveiling the kit in a video posted to her social media channels on Wednesday. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion does not need help to win, but she is leaning into style as part of her Paris build-up.

The outfit is described as a unique colorway that reportedly draws from “clay ballet” and the fluidity of movement. The clip and early reactions show the number already finding an audience among fans and commentators.

Sabalenka began the season with a new brand deal with Gucci, and her interest in fashion has become a recurring theme. She acknowledged late last year that she felt previews for her 2026 kits were “not that special,” yet the actual match kits this season have earned positive attention. Her colorful Australian Open outfit was noted as being jointly inspired by looks from Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.

Nike released Sabalenka’s first piece of signature merchandise last year, a T-shirt carrying her tiger motif, an item Mirra Andreeva famously wore at Roland Garros. At the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh last fall, Sabalenka hinted at longer-term plans, teasing, “That year is going to be sick,” and saying she had been “fantasizing” about staging her own signature walk-on with the brand’s help. She also suggested something special could be coming in 2027.

The new kit completes a season in which Sabalenka has combined on-court ambitions with off-court branding and fashion moves. As she arrives in Paris, the black-and-red supersuit will be both a competitive garment and a statement piece for one of the sport’s most visible players.

© 2026 Robert Prange