Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Warns Nike to ‘Stick with Pink’ for Jannik Sinner’s Outfits

Jannik Sinner will be chasing his career's second clay-court title at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Warns Nike to ‘Stick with Pink’ for Jannik Sinner’s Outfits

Jannik Sinner (Image via X/4K JANNIK SINNER)

In Short
  • Jannik Sinner struggled early in the 2026 season, losing in the Australian Open semifinals and the Qatar Open quarterfinals.
  • After switching to pink outfits, Sinner won both the Indian Wells and Miami Open, prompting coach Rennae Stubbs to recommend he stick with pink.
  • Sinner aims to close the ranking gap with Carlos Alcaraz at the upcoming Monte Carlo Masters, where he is a two-time semifinalist.

Jannik Sinner had a slow start to the 2026 season, and by his own standards, he underperformed. He failed to complete the three-peat at the Australian Open, losing in the semifinals to eventual runner-up Novak Djokovic in five sets.

Then, in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, he lost to Jakub Mensik. In those two events, Sinner wore Nike’s chartreuse outfits.

But in the Sunshine Double events, he donned pink T-shirts and won both Indian Wells and the Miami Open against Daniil Medvedev and Jiri Lehecka, respectively. And because of these wins, Serena Williams‘ former coach, Rennae Stubbs, joked that Sinner should stick with pink outfits.

Let me tell you something, Nike. Stick with the pink, stick with that color. Do not put Jannik Sinner in chartreuse ever again for the rest of his life, because clearly that is not his color. He just did not play well in that color, and I think you need to keep the pinks or the reds or black, but no more chartreuse for Jannik Sinner.

Rennae Stubbs said on her The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast

His victories in the two Masters 1000 events made him the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 and overall the eighth man to complete the Sunshine Double. Sinner’s next task is to win the Monte Carlo Masters and reduce the rankings gap between him and World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.

The Italian ace needs over 1,190 points to dethrone Alcaraz from the top. Sinner has the golden opportunity to inch closer to reclaiming his ranking spot because he has no points to defend in The Principality, while the seven-time Grand Slam champion will be playing as the defending champion. Alcaraz, in fact, has 4,300 points to defend on the clay swing because he won three Big Titles, including the French Open last year.

Renzo Furlan on whether Jannik Sinner can win the Monte Carlo Masters

Although Jannik Sinner is on the entry list for the Monte Carlo Masters, he has yet to confirm whether he’s planning to play the tournament right after the Sunshine Double achievement. The tournament is set to start on April 5, and Sinner has already started his preparation for the clay swing.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Quindici Zero)

If the 24-year-old plays, he and Carlos Alcaraz will be the favorites to win. But Renzo Furlan, Jasmine Paolini‘s former coach, thinks there will be surprises in the first Masters 1000 tournament on the clay swing.

I think there will be some surprises in Monte Carlo. There’s a lot at stake, many players who I think will play well. Many are ready, some perhaps not as much, but it’s always a warm-up tournament for the others. The heart of the clay-court season starts with Madrid and Rome, then ends with Roland Garros.

Renzo Furlan wrote in his column for Corriere dello Sport

Sinner is a two-time semifinalist in Monte Carlo. In 2023, eventual runner-up Holger Rune knocked him out in the semifinals, while the following season, he suffered defeat in the last four at the hands of eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Calendar-wise, Monte Carlo isn’t very well placed in my opinion. It’s the first clay-court tournament, and expectations are high for everyone. But I also think the Italians can do very well there. We’ll see if Sinner plays; he’ll obviously be the favorite, but [Flavio] Cobolli and [Lorenzo] Musetti are other names who could go all the way.

Renzo Furlan added

Sinner is the winner of one clay-court title. Back in 2022, he lifted the Croatian Open against Alcaraz. Apart from that run, the four-time Grand Slam champion also made two more finals, in Rome and Paris last year, losing both to Alcaraz.

Also read: Paula Badosa Inspired by Rafael Nadal as She Kicks Off her Clay Season Campaign