Open Court’s 1st annual “Fugly Kit of the year” award – men

It’s tennis awards time. And no awards season that most often celebrates the “best” of 2014 would be complete without a little counterpoint.

So, without further ado, we introduce the first annual “Open Court Fugly Kit of the Year” award.

Let’s be clear; this award does not go to the player, but the sponsoring clothing manufacturer. A little bit like the way the “Record of the Year” Grammy goes to the producer, not the artist.

Someone pays you to wear their kit, you wear it. Whatever your feelings on the topic.

If you haven’t guessed by now, the 2014 men’s award winner is Nike, and the player above who had the misfortune of having to wear it is up-and-coming Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Unfortunately, Nike couldn’t be with us today. Open Court would like to thank the Academy of Open Court, and accepts this award on Nike’s behalf.

This might be what he really thinks about it.

Kokkinatis’s kit, seen here during the qualifying at the French Open this year (which may be why this is the first time most of you have treated your eyeballs to this exact combination of blinding and awful), combines the absolute worst Nike had to offer during its 2014 season.

We are of the firm belief that it was the reason Kokkinakis lost a tight 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 match to Mate Pavic in the final round (which is when these pics were taken).

Here are a few other looks:

And that was a impressive amount of awful. Only the Fed, seemingly, was spared the awfulness. But then, he has some clout. Moving multi-millions of merch over the last decade will do that.

Perhaps the teenage rebel in Kokkinakis decided that the best Nike defence is a good Nike offence, and decided to combine the awfuls to produce a major fashion statement that was uniquely his own (That, or the box of matching shirts got lost in transit).

Whatever; it’s terrible.

If you have other candidates you consider deserving of attention during a far-from-vintage 2014, indicate them in the comments below and I will add relevant photos here to put together a “2014 Hall of Shame”.

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