At the Veolia Lakeland Open, Jorja Johnson and Rachel Rohrabacher partnered up in women’s doubles and decided to color coordinate their outfits.

Instead of wearing black, they opted for something bolder, a red and white checkerboard pattern from pickleball fashion line ELN.

ELN was founded by Noe Khlif’s wife, Jen Rogers, who saw the demand for flattering and functional fashion for pickleball play. Of course, a few of the women on tour have been sporting her pieces.

Johnson and Rohrabacher played on center court in this red and white gingham pattern. Johnson wore the bubble hem skirt with a white tank top, and Rohrabacher sported the wrap dress. 

Lauren Mercado and a few amateurs also donned the pattern a week earlier at the Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships, but it was only when Johnson and Rohrabacher showcased the outfits that people started sharing their thoughts.

The pickleball humor page @memesofpickleball, for example, posted an image of Johnson and Rohrabacher playing above a checkerboard tablecloth with the caption, “Who wore it better?”

Criticism escalated when King of the Court podcast co-host Jimmy Miller had this to say.

“You know, I try to be careful when I talk about appearances. [The Lakeland tournament] was held in a tiny community park, so does that explain why Jorja and Rachel look like a freaking picnic basket?” he quipped. “That was wild. Like did they get free sandwiches when they bought those? It looked like a tablecloth. Is that a thing?” 

Let me be the one to answer that question: Yes! Gingham has a very rich history in fashion and pop culture. The fabric dates back to the early 1600s, and grew in popularity in the 1900s after World War I because it was affordable, breathable, and fashionable for the summer.

Gingham is just as popular today, appearing on everything from high fashion runways to children’s clothes. It’s one of the most diverse patterns in the world.  

One of gingham’s most notable moments is Dorothy’s blue and white checkered dress from The Wizard of Oz. ELN’s gingham collection could be an ode to the iconic look, and combined with the box office hit Wicked: For Good, makes for the perfect time to launch this pattern.  

Gingham was also one of the most popular patterns in both streetwear and athleticwear for spring and summer 2025. ELN is simply indulging in the current trends and adapting them to court fashion. 

And finally, the colors are red and white, and perfect for the holiday season. 

Miller, however, took his criticism a step further and called it “fugly.”

“It was hard to look at. Seriously, I think my grandma used to make creepy dolls with that pattern back in the day,” he concluded.

Instead of letting the haters get ELN down, the team decided to spin it with humor and shine a bright spotlight on Miller’s critique. 

Miller’s words actually brought a lot of people to ELN’s defense. Comments and DMs flooded the ELN page, complimenting the looks again and again.

For Black Friday, ELN invited customer to use the discont code ‘KOTCFUGLY’ for 25% off their purchase. If Miller made a public apology, the discount would increase to 40% off their purchase. They decided to change the gingham collection name to 'Kitchen Table Cloth' as well.

Funnily enough, Miller issued an apology. 

“I got a lot of grief. I clearly am not a fashionista by any means, I wear Nike hoodies and buy one, get one free t-shirts, so I get it, I’m not the target audience. So I apologize, you do you, rock those dresses,” he said. “If a guy like me thinks they’re ugly, it really shouldn’t matter.” 

I truly appreciated ELN’s response. They spun everything in a positive direction. 

You haven’t really made it in fashion until you have meme accounts and podcasters criticize you, so congratulations Jen and ELN!

To keep up to date on all things pro pickleball fashion, pop culture, and drama moments like this, follow us on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and watch the latest pickleball pop culture recap.