It's all Gucci for Sabalenka at the Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka has long treated the courts at Melbourne Park like a personal runway. With a 23-1 win-loss record over the last three-plus years, the World No. 1 is not stranger to strutting her stuff at the Australian Open. But this year, she's leveling up her style game at the tournament, too.

She is a new ambassador for Italian fashion house Gucci.

Sabalenka launched the partnership as Thursday turned into Friday in Melbourne in a video posted to social media, where she can be seen playing tennis in black Stiletto heels and a dramatic, twill Gucci-branded fringe dress.

The brand is "bold and expressive," Sabalenka says -- not unlike the four-time Grand Slam champion herself.

“It's a perfect time to bring fashion on court," she said after defeating Anastasia Potapova in the third round -- having said earlier in the tournament that Naomi Osaka's viral jellyfish-inspired Robert Wun 'fit was "pretty cool."

"[W]hat's really beautiful about fashion that you can express yourself in any way. It's pretty free world. There is no judgment. There is just, like, one people see fashion in one way; other people see fashion in other way. You know, that's why it's so beautiful that you can feel free and go and show yourself, show your personality."

Sabalenka did just that when she popped on a pair of Gucci shades to answer questions from reporters -- and later joked that she struggled to answer a match-specific question because shopping was on her mind. She also said that she hoped to play for real in something Gucci in the future -- and that she'd be able to work with her on-court outfitter Nike to create a collaborative match kit.

"I would love to see that," she said. "It's a perfect time to bring fashion on court. Gucci is the best brand, the best fashion brand with the best designer right now. ... I think we can do really cool stuff for on court."

For now, though, she's just spending her days off in Melbourne shopping Gucci until she drops -- with a store conveniently located just a stone's throw from Melbourne Park on Collins Street.

"Just need to get a lot of stuff," she grinned.