#FUF: Wimbledon Whites and Grass Gossip

Hurray! We’ve reached the grass swing – the most unique (and most well-conditioned) surface on both respective tours. While we’re getting in the mood to pop out the champagne, rustle up a few pimms and gorge ourselves with strawberries topped with a heart-attack-inducing amount of cream, take a look back at all the social media happenings from the past week as we look to the lawns of Wimbledon.

Lawn Fashion

Maria Sharapova and Team UN debuted a new Wimbledon appropriate look this week in London. The Russian no.2 has been busy prepping her Wimbledon village Sugarpova pop-up store but still found time to pose for a family photo clad in Wimbledon whites. Check back next week for a special Style Seeds in anticipation of the third slam of the season. We can’t wait to see what the stars will don. One thing we do know however, at least they’ll all be in white.

Clean and minimal whites weren’t exactly on the agenda of Brit James Ward, who donned an eye-popping polka dot shirt at Queens this week. Oh, and Wawrinka’s #luckyshorts are back. Those checkered beauties are fast becoming the Azarenka shorts of 2012.

Pre-WTA Wimbledon Practice

The top WTA ladies have been finding their feet on the grass this week. Caroline Wozniacki perfected her football skills during practice, pitching for a spot on an NFL team, while Wimbledon defending champion Petra Kvitova, looks pleased to be back on her favored surface. Can she defend her title and bring her slam title to three? (All at Wimbledon, of course).

Ana Ivanovic tumbled out of Birmingham this week at the hands of Michelle Larcher de Brito in three well-contested sets. The Serb confessed on Twitter yesterday, “I did have some good moments in my game yesterday. Obviously I am not satisfied with my result, but staying positive!” We wonder if the Portuguese firecracker is looking to cause another upset at Wimbledon — circa 2013?

The Fortunes of Fedal

Seven-time Wimbledon champion and last year’s finalist, Roger Federer, is back in action this week at one of his most fruitful tournaments in Halle, Germany. The Swiss has won the title seven times prior — including last year — and is back in the semifinals in 2015.

Rafael Nadal brushed off a not-so-surprising defeat (though only his second-ever) to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros with a grass title win at the Stuttgart Open last week. Nadal lost his momentum at the Queen’s Club however, falling in the first round in three sets to Aleksandr Dolgopolov. The Spaniard will be looking to rebound from a few early exits at Wimbledon over the past three seasons, but given his topsy-turvy year, everything hangs in the balance.

The Queen of Centre Court

Happy (belated) birthday, Venus Williams! She celebrated her 35th birthday on June 17, and received well wishes from the tour’s leading stars and commentators.

A decade on from her 2005 Wimbledon victory has seen the American scoop up two more Wimbledon titles (2007, 2008) along with two Olympic gold medals in doubles (2008, 2012), and seven more Grand Slam doubles titles, with at least one victory in every slam. The legend of the game is still going strong, having reached the quarterfinal stage of the Australian Open (the first time since 2010) and claimed a title in Auckland this year defeating Caroline Wozniacki in three sets.

Can she make it a year to remember on the lawn of Centre Court? Who can count out Venus Williams?