Serena Williams creating buzz about her on-court attire at the U. S. Open is nothing new. However, people usually are not talking about something she wore two months ago at the French Open.

Just prior to the start of the 2018 U. S. Open, French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli struck a nerve with many tennis fans when he called the 23-time Grand Slam champion's French Open catsuit “disrespectful” and banned the bodysuit from future competition.

The debate about that outfit nearly overshadowed her U. S. Open ensemble, a tutu from Nike’s Queen Collection which places Williams among the best and worst dressed at Flushing Meadows.

The dress is at its best when in motion, especially while Williams whips her forehand in flight. The skirt floats and flutters unleashing Serena's inner ballerina.

When Williams poses, the dress is quite pretty. But at times it appears cumbersome, heavy and ill-fitted. The blue day dress is darling. The black frock looks more like a costume than a tennis dress.

Some news outlets inaccurately claimed that Williams wore the tutu in response to Guidicelli’s comments. Instead, the kit was months in the making in a collaboration between Nike and celebrated fashion designer Virgil Abloh, artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s men’s collection.  Louis Vuitton knows leather and the best part about the Williams’ outfit is the leather jacket she wears when she takes the court.

Not in Nike, Roger Federer wore a burnt red Uniqlo outfit. After so many years with Nike, Federer wearing the Japanese clothing line continues to take some getting used. His fans still show up to matches wearing his signature Nike Roger Federer logo gear. Federer is still wearing Nike shoes.

His Uniqlo attire is far more sporty, less tailored than the Nike polos fans grew to expect. But Federer retained his coordinated style with matching headband.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic rocked the croc in a Lacoste kit that featured a patterned polo. Since joining the iconic French brand, Djokovic has a style all his own. His affinity for tailored attire makes Lacoste the perfect match.

A surprise entry on the best-dressed list is Philipp Kohlschreiber. The German upset compatriot Alexander Zverev while wearing a Mizuno outfit that embodies summer. It’s bright, colorful and oozing energy. Also worn by Marcos Baghdatis, the blue and orange Shadow tee’s design was inspired by an overlaying color graduation technique used to make Japanese ceramics.

The Lotto Barre Dress, worn by Carla Suarez Navarro, Agnieszka Radwanska, Elise Mertens and Alize Cornet featured a ruffled skirt with pink and red stripes, which added a cute candy-striper vibe.

Perhaps the best of the Nike women’s outfit belonged to Sloane Stephens. The hot orange Nike Court dress featured a side split that revealed some funky printed shorts beneath.  

With so many players choosing daring patterns, black or bursts of color, Dominika Cibulkova’s fitted white dress from Lacoste stood out in its elegant simplicity.

Of course, there were some fashion faux pas, most notably Venus Williams' wardrobe malfunction during her first-round match.  Owner of her the line, Eleven, Venus disappointed with this Prima Donna dress. In ads, the kit represents the high-style that has become synonymous with Venus. However, it flunked the functionality test.

Meanwhile, Karolina Pliskova missed the mark in a star-studded disaster. Why Fila, why?

Sometimes less is more, which brings us full circle, back to Serena’s tutu. With such an elegant skirt, a simpler top, say like the one she wore during Wimbledon in 2016, would have landed her on the right side of the best and worst dressed at this year’s U. S. Open. Instead, the most talked about design gets a wink, a nod, and a head shake.