Style Guide: Why Zheng Qinwen is "too shy" to wear this Roland Garros outfit

PARIS, France—Are ‘walk-out moments’ having their moment again at this year’s Roland Garros?

Unlike team sports like football and basketball—where players enter to dramatic intros and curated tracks that highlight their personalities—tennis walk-outs often feel like an afterthought. Players receive demure applause and a quick announcement of their accolades, as they head to their chairs during the standard 60-second countdown before the warmup.

But that might be starting to change.

Read More: Coco Gauff forgets her racquets, but brings Parisian style, in Roland Garros win

Earlier this week, Coco Gauff stepped out on court outfitted in an edgy leather jacket, promising to bring a dose of fashion flair to a part of the match that usually goes overlooked.

It echoed some iconic tennis fashion moments of the past: Serena Williams unveiling a Virgil Abloh-designed gown at 2019 Roland Garros; Roger Federer sporting a monogrammed blazer at Wimbledon in 2006; and Naomi Osaka channeling a ‘magical girl transformation’ at last year’s US Open.

Now, Zheng Qinwen is poised to join tennis’s fashion-forward ranks—if she can push past a bit of stage fright.

The 2024 Australian Open runner-up made a stylish impression this week in Paris, chatting with Prakash Amitraj at the Tennis Channel desk in a striking all-crimson look, complete with custom “Queenwen” Beats by Dre headphones and Rolex Datejust watch.

“I would say Nike did a really great job!” Zheng told Amitraj with a grin. “I explained to them the color that I liked, so they designed this outfit for me with a long skirt.”

The entire outfit felt like a modern chapaeu to the original tennis style icon, Suzanne Lenglen. The legendary French champion revolutionized on-court fashion with her signature calf-length pleated skirts and headbands—a look immortalized in the statue outside of the Roland-Garros stadium that bears her name.

Read More: Remembered for balletic game and brandy, Suzanne Lenglen was much more

“This outfit is supposed to be for on-court, but I’m too shy to do it!” Zheng admitted, laughing.

“I want to look more normal, and not too ‘fashion’ before I jump in the match!”

While Zheng has yet to debut the ensemble on court, she’s been standing out in a lilac version of Nike’s 2025 Roland-Garros collection. The all-crimson look has been her go-to post-match fit, bringing a sleek dose of tennis core to her media appearances.

On Friday afternoon, Zheng extended her win streak at Roland-Garros to nine matches with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Victoria Mboko—a run that began during her gold-medal performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics, held at this very venue.

“I still get inspiration from my performance last year in the Olympic Games,” Zheng revealed. “In the difficult moments, I always remember how I fought through until the last few matches.

“I really want to do well again at Roland-Garros, because it’s my ‘dream’ place.”