If you are reading this, you may not be into the tennis world, but the chances of you having at least heard once about “tenniscore” over the past months are high. TikTok and the movie “Challengers”, Zendaya and all of the outfits she wore for the premiere got everyone obsessed with the sporty and elegant look. This fashion trend made the sales of tennis skirts, polo shirts and tennis shoes increase and luxury brands, like Miu Miu, rocked the fashion shows with tennis-inspired collections.
Although “tenniscore” made the world pay more attention to the tennis aesthetic, this is not the beginning of this lovely, bold and elegant partnership of fashion and rackets. Let’s take a look at the past and present to see how it all started and how tennis players’ styles shaped generations throughout the years.
Victorian Era
The origin of tennis can be traced back to France and England. In Britain, the sport was called “Lawn Tennis” (because it was played on grass) and it was played by the upper-class society. Throughout the 1800s, all players only wore white while on court: Women wore dresses with a tight corset and long skirts, while men would wear trousers, long-sleeved shirts and, sometimes, blazers, matching the fashion trend of that period in time.
20th Century
René Lacoste, Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg and Andre Agassi are some of the most significant figures when we look back at tennis fashion throughout the 20th century. From Lacoste´s and Ashe´s elegance to Borg´s headbands and Agassi´s flamboyant style.
During the 20s, there was a very renowned French tennis player named René Lacoste, better known as “The Crocodile”. He won 7 Grand Slam titles, but his legacy goes beyond tennis courts. In 1933, René founded “Lacoste”, changing tennis fashion at the time and allowing players to be more comfortable and free to move around while playing. The “Lacoste Polo Shirt” was designed as a short-sleeved shirt with breathable cotton, very different from the uncomfortable clothes people were used to at the time. This marked the beginning of the brand with the most famous crocodile in the world.
Known for being elegant and for always wearing his golden Rolex watch, Arthur Ashe’s most iconic outfit was the one he wore at Wimbledon in 1975. With aviator glasses and short shorts, Ashe became the first and only black man to win the tournament.
In the late 70s, there was a Swedish superstar who popularized headbands between tennis players. Bjorn Borg couldn’t get the striped headbands out of his head and that was the biggest trend he helped to set. His other symbols were his red and white striped Fila Polo Shirt and short shorts. To GQ magazine, Borg told how superstitious he was: “The clothes I wore when I won became my lucky clothes”.
The owner of the most iconic hairstyle in the tennis world, Andre Agassi played in the late 80s until 2006 and won 8 Grand Slam titles in his career. He was famous for his rockstar style and his passion for colorful outfits on court. His love for it was so big he even boycotted Wimbledon for three years because of the tournament´s all-white dress code. “Why must I wear white? I don’t want to wear white”, he wrote in his autobiography.
2000’s and 2010’s: Williams Sisters and Maria Sharapova
We can’t speak about sport & fashion without mentioning the Williams sisters, that would be not talking about a big part of tennis history. Not only did the Americans revolutionize the way the players play, they also changed how they dress. They expressed their individuality through bold and unique designs throughout their careers.
It’s hard to select just a few outfits that Serena wore, but one of the most iconic was the kit she wore for the 2004 US Open: a black studded top and a jeans skirt that was inspired by Andre Agassi denim shorts.
In the last Grand Slam of her career, the 2022 US Open, the American said goodbye to professional tennis in the most Serena´s way: shining bright. She played in a gorgeous figure skating-inspired dress, a tutu skirt with 6 layers (one for each US Open title she´s won) and exclusive shoes that had 400 hand-set diamonds in them. Her hair was also styled with Swarovski crystals.
Venus Williams had a lot of unforgettable looks throughout her career. One of them was in 2010, at the French Open. Venus wore a lace black and red dress designed by herself. It shocked the tennis audience, some people said it was “provocative” and “scandalous”, but she didn’t mind them at all.
Maria Sharapova is at the top of the list when we talk about stylish tennis players. The Russian recently went viral on TikTok because of the impressive outfits she wore on the court, like the 2007 Wimbledon Swan Lake-inspired dress and the 2017 Us Open black outfit, that mixed lace and Swarovski crystals. Her collaboration with Nike was one of the most iconic the sport has ever seen.
2020’s
Naomi Osaka is a four-time grand slam champion and also the biggest name when we talk about tennis and fashion in the 2020s. Her partnership with Nike made some memorable tennis kits, like the lacy one she wore at the 2024 Us Open.
Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, also has a very special relationship with her sponsor, New Balance. After winning her first grand slam last year, New Balance launched the campaign “call me champion” to celebrate Coco´s title. Gauff is also one of the few players on tour to have signature shoes.The only other active player to have is Novak Djokovic. Very exclusive.
In 2023, Wilson started to sponsor Marta Kostyuk and, since then, her outfits are always the most gorgeous in every tournament that she plays. Bringing very bright colors and super cute designs to play. Their partnership goes beyond the tennis courts though. At the end of 2023, Kostyuk got married in a custom wedding dress made specially for her by the Wilson team.
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The article above was edited by Gabriela Travizzanutto.
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