There are many reasons why I love the summer tennis season, that hazy trio: Roland Garros, Queens, Wimbledon.

It’s partly nostalgic I think, still somehow symbolic of the approaching long summer holidays (remember?), the end of exams, freedom?

I’m also a massive fan of uniforms. Or should I say, I’m a massive fan of the opportunity for discreet disobedience afforded by a uniform and each year, tennis’ top players show the very best of uniform flouting, especially at Wimbledon.(See Gossip Girl seasons 1 and 2 for more glorious examples). For no other reason than tradition, Wimbledon imposes the White Clothing Rule, and since a recent clamp-down in 2014, strictly white and only white may be worn on court.

And yet, every year someone, usually Serena, manages to sneak in a snip of colour. It is not just a neon trim, a hued sweat band or a bright nail; it is self-expression, rule-breaking, identity. It does remind me of school and one of my own early style triumphs when I took to wearing a polo neck under my shirt in the winter –brazen I thought, bizarre I realise.

Whilst someone in Roger Federer’s camp decided a personal logo was required to identify the Swiss senior, other players use style alone to delineate their brand: Montfils’ long shorts, Sharapova’s visor, Ivanovic’s all black or the William’s brights.  For yes, most tournaments actually allow players to wear colour!

Mimicking the global trend for brightly coloured gym wear, the clay courts of this year’s Roland Garros have been a mad clash of neon brights and I have been loving it. Nike has decked out its players in fluo orange and lilac – stripes for Safarova, leopard for Serena, naturally.

A wonderful confluence of meteorology and mode also allowed for another trend that I have spotted and loved: the long sleeve. For beneath the grey skies of early matches, many females took to the sleeve and even Sharapova’s slightly incongruous nautical stripe looked great.

In fact, the only real fashion-fail of the tournament was Roland Garros’ own ball picker-uppers, (I’m letting Stan Wawrinka off on this occasion…), who were put in most unfortunate outfits. Everything about the girls’ outfit was wrong: from the racer back vest (not suitable for pre-teens), to the long hockey socks (err…35◦C anyone?), to the URL plastered across the back (too obvious). It was a look that lacked any of the sophistication we would usually enjoy from tennis or expect of the French; mais oui, the outfit was, basically, vulgar.

Thankfully the French can usually be relied upon to hold it together style-wise and the crowd largely pulled through this year unscathed.

However, this photo from my last visit to the tournament a few years ago proves that one must always be on one’s guard – even at the tennis, even in France.