The world No. 1 wearing Sergio Tacchini is like James Bond driving around in a Pinto and drinking a Beast Ice. That's not because the Italian sportswear company is inherently inferior to Nike, adidas or Reebok, it's because it makes clothes that look like this:

This is Novak Djokovic's new kit, which he debuted on Tuesday in Rome. He looks like Wile E. Coyote after the Road Runner dipped his feet in paint.

(Getty Images)Let's give Serena Williams the final word on the blue court controversy at the Madrid Open.

Following her victory in the Spanish capital, Serena analyzed how her WTA colleagues made it through the week in Madrid without whining about slippery courts, unlike some men (cough, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, cough):

"Women are way tougher than men. That's why we have the babies. You guys could never handle kids. We ladies don't complain, we just do our best. On the WTA we are real performers, we are not about going out there and being weenies."

"Weenies" just about sums it up perfectly, right? Nadal lost in the third round and continued his annoying habit of blaming everything but himself for the losses. And Djokovic had a chance to cede the spotlight to his good friend Janko Tipsarevic, who defeated him in the Madrid quarterfinals, but instead chose to continue his assault against everything blue. I think he even took a shot at Grover.

[Related: Tennis players consider dramatic boycott

(Getty Images)Australian shooter Russell Mark has vowed to wear a Borat-style mankini at the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics after losing a bet on an Aussie Rules football game.

Mark, a 1996 gold medalist and 2000 silver medalist, wagered on Carlton to defeat St. Kilda in a recent game. After Carlton was defeated by four goals, the 48-year-old admitted to his lost wager on radio.

"Oh, I must've been intoxicated," he joked, according to The Telegraph. "Anyway, a lot of people would think a mankini might look better than the uniform they've nominated for us, so I don't know if it's such a bad thing."

Mark was referring to Australia's actual Opening Ceremony uniform, which features a heavy, green jacket and generally makes Team Australia look more like real estate agents rather than athletes.

Complicating matters is that Mark is a potential flag bearer for the Australian team. He'll be competing in his sixth Olympics and that honor is usually given to athletes with longevity or special

Shawn Johnson in 2010 (L) and last week on 'Today'

Gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson gained, then lost, 25 pounds during her three-year break from international competition, she told reporters on Monday.

The 20-year-old, who won three silver medals and one gold in Beijing and is attempting a comeback for London, discussed the weight gain, and her subsequent body image problems at the USOC media summit on Monday. She said her fluctuating weight led to "hurtful" comments in the tabloids.

[Video: Shawn Johnson finds Olympic inspiration through family ]

"That whole process kind of broke me down and taught me something," she said, according to USA Today. "People put too much emphasis on looks."

Even when she was at the top of the gymnastics world, Johnson battled weight issues. "I was at the Olympic Games winning medals and I still doubted my image," she said. "I doubted what I looked like. That's sad. Girls should be taught different than that. I think everyone should be taught different than that."

[Related: Donovan McNabb loses 20

Five-time fencing medalist Valentina Vezzali shows off Armani's Olympic jacket (AP)The Giorgio Armani-designed uniforms that Italian athletes will wear at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics are emblazoned with the words to the country's national anthem.

Armani included the full lyrics to "Il Canto degli Italiani" on the inside of the opening ceremony jacket and an official team sweatshirt. The team's polo shirts have the opening lines stitched on the inside collar. Armani's minimalist design mostly shuns the colors of the Italian flag. Only the polo shirt incorporates the usual reds and greens associated with Italy.

The 77-year-old is known as a big sports fan who particularly enjoys tennis and soccer. He included the national anthem because "sport is the most patriotic thing that there is and it inspires national pride."

Athletes will receive an Armani suitcase filled with 50 pieces of the dark blue and white line.

Italy is the latest country to reveal Olympic kits designed by fashion icons. Great Britain will wear Stella McCartney clothing. The United States had uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren. So far, the fashion podium is just like you'd think. McCartney, bronze; Lauren silver; Armani, gold.

(Busan Open)Australia's Samuel Groth, ranked No. 340 and best known in tennis circles for being the ex-husband of tennis player Jarmila Groth, set an unofficial ATP record last week when he hit a serve 164.3 mph at a challenger event in South Korea. That breaks the previous record of 156 mph, set by Ivo Karlovic at a Davis Cup match last year.

Groth's serve increased the record by a whopping 5.3 percent. To put that into context, that'd be like Usain Bolt lowering his 100 meter world record from 9.58 to 9.07.

''I just threw it up and absolutely smashed it down the T and it popped up on the gun at 263 [kilometers per hour] and I was a bit like, 'Whoa, whoa,''' Groth told The Age. ''It became a bit of a talking point around the guys; I guess it's not something you see too often, where suddenly 263 pops up on a radar gun.''

[Related: Actor Will Smith presents gift to Roger Federer after win]

The 24-year-old also hit serves of 158.9 mph and 157.5 mph in the same match. This means that the three

World record holder and London swimming favorite Ryan Lochte is on the cover of the June issue of Vogue magazine, alongside fellow American Olympians Hope Solo and Serena Williams.

Lochte, in black jammers, is locked arm-in-arm with the soccer goalie and tennis star, who are wearing gold, one-piece bathing suits. The cover was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.

(Annie Leibovitz/Vogue)

It's only the fourth time in the history of the venerable fashion monthly that a man has appeared on the cover -- Richard Gere, George Clooney and LeBron James were the others. (It's amazing that Anna Wintour's favorite athlete -- Roger Federer -- has yet to land a cover.) Each of those men fronted with a female model; Lochte is the first to do so without one.

[Shine: Ryan Lochte credits mom for swimming success]

Fourth-Place Medal spoke to Lochte last week about his plans for the upcoming Olympics. He hasn't publicly announced his schedule, but it's expected he'll compete in six or seven events in London. He'll be a

The Orbit tower in London, a tall, twisting, red steel structure next to Olympic Stadium that adds a touch of modernity to the city's skyline, debuted Friday and is being drubbed in the British press, with critics calling it the "Eye-Ful Tower" and "the Godzilla of public art."

(AP)

It's what I imagine the inside of Space Mountain looks like.

Designed by award-winning artist Anish Kapoor, the tower stands 377 feet -- 22 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty. It features a 455-step stairway, two observation decks and a restaurant that offers 20-mile views of the capital city's skyline. Visitors can pay $24 to visit the landmark during the Games. It will reopen to the public on Easter 2014.

[Yahoo! Sports Shop: Buy 2012 London Olympics gear]

Kapoor was inspired by the Eiffel Tower and notes that the famed Paris landmark was equally disliked in its time.

"I've just been reading all the criticism the Eiffel Tower received upon its opening," he told reporters. "It was called the most horrendously ugly object but we don't think about it like that anymore."

But even he is surprised the Orbit got built. "Don't you think it's just amazing that they actually let us build this?" he asked The Guardian.

Critics have jumped on the Eiffel Tower comparison, making more puns than you can shake your latticed-steel at. A Times writer called it a "giant squiggle." London residents are fond of referring to it as "Boris's folly," a reference to London mayor Boris Johnson, who helped spearhead the project.  Another analyst called it a "mutant contortion."

[Related: Lewd gestures and assault all part of list of most controversial Olympians]

Not everyone dislikes the structure. The Telegraph gave it a rave review, agreeing with Kapoor's assessment that Londoners would appreciate the tower far beyond the closing ceremony. There's a reasonable chance that happens. Kapoor's design has no relation to the Olympics other than it being built for the Olympics. There was no inspiration from athletics or togetherness or competition; it's a twisting, red helix that is meant to signify a number of discrete events. Its lack of Olympic coherence might make it relevant beyond the Games.

(AP)