New Balance Is Serving Winning Manicures and Haircuts Inspired by Tennis Stars' On-Court Looks For Australian Open 2026
You don't have to be courtside to get into the Australian Open spirit.
Some people attend the Australian Open for the love of the game. while others go for the love of a good tennis get-up.
As the official Performance Apparel and Footwear partner of the tournament, New Balance just dropped its AO 2026 collection — a lineup of graphic tees (the favourite 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi' slogan is back), seafoam hues and cheerful pieces inspired by American tennis star Coco Gauff's love of the beach — and it's upping the ante again with a relaxed pop-up at Federation Square.
From 15 January 2026 – 27 January 2026, stop by the first-of-its-kind New Balance store for finishing touches on game day: tennis-inspired haircuts and manicures; warm-up rounds of lawn balls and arcade games; and fuel from Melbourne favourites Nico's Deli and Coffee Supreme. Hope Street Radio DJs will be on deck with live sets. Cricket fans won't want to miss 19 January — legendary Aussie captain Pat Cummins will be on the lawn ball field at 4 pm.
New Balance will be recreating some of the most iconic on-court looks this season. At the French Open 2025, Coco Gauff matched her blue tennis skirt with cat-eye claws to clinch a title — and the stylish player is a favourite to take home the Australian Open too. From 17 January, the artists from Buff Nails will be on hand to craft a cat-eye manicure inspired by her AO kit — a replica of the kit will also be exclusively available at the pop-up.
The pop-up is also doing right by a hairstyle that's ruled Aussie sports for years: the mullet. The shaggy cut is a signature of local tennis champion Jordan Thompson — he wear it with a casual backwards cap when he plays, bucking the sport's usually polished style. From 23 January — 25 January, the barbers at Brotherwolf are bringing their scissors and shears to Fed Square. The first three early birds get their mullets cut for free, so roll in at 10 am.
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