tennis is the best sport in the world
perhaps these outfits will help convince you of that
With the Olympics in full swing, sports and athletics have been at the forefront of everybody’s mind. Gymnastics is always a must-see, I’ve been counting down the days until track and field, and even water polo has me glued to the screen. Despite this, one sport has remained at the forefront of my attention, as it has all year round.
Tennis has always been a part of my life in some way, from when I played quite disgruntledly as a child to watching it fervently now. I can’t quite place what it is that makes it so fun to watch, perhaps it’s the fact that each player is competing by and for themselves, and seeing how each player deals with that is a game within itself.
Knowing myself, a large factor of my attraction to the sport is definitely the fashion aspect of it. There are constant uniform, or “kit” changes throughout the season, providing a variety of different looks throughout the season. Some are definitely better than others, my list of least favorite outfits would probably be triple the length of this one, but it’s still beautiful either way.
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Before we begin, I of course have to mention the absolute master of on court outfits and true GOAT, Serena Williams. A true deep dive into her best kits would take much more time than I have, but here are a few of them for now. Even this is a less than acceptable display but we must continue onward.
I start off with one of the most iconic yet divisive players in the sport, John Mcenroe. He won all 7 of his grand slam titles while sponsored by Italian label, Sergio Tacchni. I’m really into the first two looks with the stripes on the sleeves, It’s an unexpected way to incorporate the print but it pays off well. The other look is quite simple, all white with a red stripe, but the way the stripe matches his headband is so satisfying. He wore a navy version of this shirt with a navy headband to match during his unforgettable “you cannot be serious” rant.
Accessories matter! So many players have their identifiable accessories and traits like Borg’s Fila headband or Agassi’s hair and cap, but what about socks? Guillermo Vilas is pictured here in 1982 wearing an Ellesse kit that is quite common for the era, but is set apart by the striped knee highs. Perhaps they got in the way of play, as I found a few photos similar to the one on the right where they have been rolled down.
Another important player of the 80’s, Ivan Lendl spent a large part of his career sponsored by Adidas, and even used rackets branded with their trefoil logo. His most iconic look has to be these argyle polos that he’s become synonymous with. Adidas even brought it back in 2010 on Andy Murray at the ATP finals in London, and he coincidentally began his on and off coaching relationship with Lendl the following year.
French player Yannick Noah and Le Coq Sportif came together to present some of the coolest looks I’ve seen on court. Here I’ve decided to highlight these three tops with vertical referee-esque stripes, all worn by him throughout the 1988 season. There are a lot of cool vintage Le Coq Sportif items on eBay, like this cap.
If what I’ve shown you so far doesn’t convince you that tennis is a fashionable sport, perhaps a literal fashion brand collaboration will. Starting in 2005, Stella Mccartney has partnered with Adidas to design activewear that values style and performance. To this day, they create gear for a number of sports including tennis, as you can see here. Although the Stella kits came under much criticism, I actually really enjoy most of what she put out and at the least, appreciate it for trying to introduce something different.
Staying true to her beliefs, the Adidas collaboration follows the same sustainable ethos as the mainline collections and many familiar design quirks and references are apparent. The ruffle-y crinkled neckline on the dresses above remind me of flower petals or the gills of a mushroom, a material Stella Mccartney constantly experiments with.
These dreamlike campaign photos from their fall/winter 2008 collection are the opposite of what you’d expect to see for performance wear, and that’s what makes them so intriguing. I was able to find more photos from this collection here.
My favorite kits as of late have to be these Nike ones from earlier this year. I usually prefer looks with no print or pattern, as most of the designs chosen for athletic gear are not my vibe but in lieu of a pattern, something else has to create interest. The interest here are the asymmetrical accordion pleats at the bottom half of the skirt. Not only do they add something more to an otherwise plain kit, they provide such good movement. ↓
These were done in the pink, yellow, and green I’ve shown here but also in a brownish-taupe color, as worn by Paula Badosa. They are said to have been inspired by “the joy of the beaches around Melbourne” and that sentiment can be felt through the fluid movement of the pleats, much like waves in the ocean.
There are a few recent men’s looks I enjoy as well, they also rely on color and design details over print and pattern. Top left is Frenchman Arthur Fils who swapped sponsorship from Asics to Lacoste at the beginning of the season. This year, outside of grand slams, the male Lacoste players have worn varying colorways of these simple polos with “light line” motifs across the chest. Just enough to keep it from being plain and not so much that it becomes an eyesore.
Top right is Danish player Holger Rune who has been with Nike since he went pro in 2020. For the 2023 clay season he wore this monochrome kit that is the exact color of the burnt orange surface. This look caught a lot of flak because of how it blended in with the clay, but I like it for that exact reason. He also played some of his best tennis in this look so can we bring it back maybe?
Bottom left is Novak Djokovic who has been with many brands throughout his 20+ years on tour. He is currently with Lacoste and this is one of the few looks from their partnership that I enjoy. Because of his ranking, Lacoste works to create Djokovic’s own custom kits (no simple polos with light line motifs for him). This one he wore to the Paris Masters in 2023. I love the red and lavender color combination and the fact that it even continued down to the shoes.
At the bottom right is Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2021. He had also been with a number of brands throughout his career but wore his own line with British athletic brand Castore during the final leg of it. This specific look is cool because I enjoy any little pops of color brands are able to incorporate during Wimbledon but also because this outfit is made from merino wool. A much more sustainable alternative to the ever-prevalent polyester, it’s nice to see some efforts made by a sport that has so many uniform changes throughout the season.
Rounding things out with the most consistent giver-of-good-looks, Coco Gauff. I really enjoy everything that New Balance has put together for her this year and I’m always excited to see what she’ll be wearing next. You can really feel the extra attention New Balance give to her looks though things like criss-cross waistbands and mesh skirts that set her apart from any other player on the court. I even like the kit she wore at the Olympics, in all of it’s red white and blue glory. Truly the people’s princess!
Do you have any favorite tennis looks? Which one here was your favorite? I had a lot of fun putting this one together with all of the images so I hope you enjoyed them as well :) Thank you for reading!
Coco for the win!
I don’t follow tennis and didn’t know there was so much good fashion! I mean the denim skirt is just so good. The rolled down striped knee highs, the Stella McCartney boho kits, the pleated Nike skirts..! I think what I like most about these pictures is when the kits were designed with movement in mind, such a good accessory too in a way..