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While Zendaya and her stylist Law Roach made a swift and slick game of archival pulls and stretched method dressing to its highest limits for the actor’s Challengers press tour, it’s real-life tennis star Destanee Aiava who’s showing off her game both on the court and in the eBay auction arena.
A career-shifting moment, Australia’s Aiava propelled herself back to beat Belgium’s Greet Minnen on Monday night (January 13) at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. It was a starry triumph, eight years after her initial debut, and time off to work on the mental challenges that came with tour and whether she wanted to even continue pursuing professional tennis. This is her first grand slam victory.
The 24-year-old is doing as the champions do—and dressing like the legends she admires. Aiava wore a navy, cobalt, and sky blue adidas x Stella McCartney dress worn by Danish tennis legend Caroline Wozniacki at the 2013 US Open, which she picked up on eBay.
“I’ve worn adidas by Stella McCartney for so long that everybody on the team knows my body type and what works for me,” Wozniacki told Vogue back in 2017 of her own allegiance to the brand. “I think every woman likes to look good and [cares about] what she’s wearing, but at the same time, I need to feel good so I don’t have to think about anything else when I’m out on the court.”
Aiava has spent her first week reviving iconic looks from tennis champions: in the qualifying rounds, she wore a pink and gray dress that Maria Sharapova wore for the 2012 US open semifinals. Second, when up against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, Aiava sported a pink and purple adidas dress that Ana Ivanovic wore at the 2010 US Open
Speaking to Ben Rothenberg, who writes the Bounces substack and is the author of The Stylish Life: Tennis, Aiava shared how she had been digging for the vintage looks online and styling herself. Rothenberg has been documenting all of Aiava’s archival sets so far.
“I’ve found them on eBay—for double the price that they were originally for,” Aiava told Bounces. “I just like looking—on Depop, Facebook Marketplace, eBay—to find the old, vintage outfits that I loved when I was little.” She shared that she has around six outfits for these games.
“I just like wearing my own things, and it’s nice not to see everyone wearing what I’m wearing,” she continued. “Even if it is 20 years old.”
Rothenberg was also able to spot Aiava’s next archival find: a yellow Nike dress worn by Maria Sharapova for the 2011 French Open, which Aiava sported for her match against Danielle Collins. As well, eagle-eyed tennis fans on Twitter also clocked Aiava’s pink dress was the same one worn by Ana Ivanovic at the 2009 Australian Open.
“I just loved what they wore,” Aiava also told BBC Sport of Sharapova, Ivanovic, and Serena Williams. “I think some of the stuff that is being designed is quite ugly. I just like to wear what I think looks good. I don’t like wearing the same thing as everyone else.”
“I didn’t really think it would make any impact at all, me wearing the dresses. But I’m glad I did,” she continued. “It’s been fun bringing them back,” she added. “I think even if you lose, it’s still kind of a fashion runway when you re on the court.”
Aiava hopes to pursue a degree in fashion design, and while she doesn’t have a sponsor, she’s having fun digging through eBay, Facebook, and Depop for her winner’s wardrobe. This marks a win in her first in five first-round matches. A life-changing moment, serving looks for the occasion.
