the eternal allure of tennis aesthetic

Björn Borg. Andre Agassi. Arthur Ashe. Serena Williams. Anna Kournikova. The impeccable style of the tennis greats has never been more on our radar. And with the next generation of hot young players dominating our feeds (yes, we're talking about Jack Draper), attention has turned to centre court, both on and off the grass.

It all started with Suzanne Lenglen. The French tennis player who took to the court at Wimbledon in a pleated, knee-length skirt and knitted tank top. The year was 1921 and it was a scandal.

And it was just the start. What followed was generations of tennis players that have shaped fashion far beyond the game. In the ‘60s, Arthur Ashe was styling out his kit with big collars, pulled-up socks, structured shorts finished with a belt (yes, a leather belt) and, of course, his signature oversized specs.

The ‘70s saw Swedish tennis player Björn Borg tackle striped polo shirts, wrist bands, sporting red and his iconic sweatband worn around the head – holding his long locks in place. The ‘90s? It was all oversized silhouettes, prints and bandanas. Pete Sampras. Andre Agassi. Mark Philippoussis. The competition was high. The looks? You’ll find them worn amongst the streetwear set right now.

The ‘90s? It was all oversized silhouettes, prints and bandanas. Pete Sampras. Andre Agassi. Mark Philippoussis. The competition was high. The looks? You’ll find them worn amongst the streetwear set right now.

As for the Noughties, Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis championed matching sets and – in Kournikova’s case – cropped tops and hot pants that spilled out of the ‘90s and into the 2000s. But the biggest step change? The Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova. Serena and Venus went for statement pieces – think cut-outs, bright hues and clashing patterns. At Wimbledon, they – of course – wore the regulatory tennis whites, but finished with their own personal touches – big earrings, fluffy hairbands, chunky necklaces. It was a gear change from preppy to flashy, and one that’s had a lasting impact.

Today? The next gen of tennis talent have got us talking – and watching. In 2023, Jannik Sinner caused a stir when he broke all the Wimbledon white rules when he slung his monogrammed Gucci duffle bag over his shoulder and stepped onto the court. Jack Draper – Britain’s new tennis hope – landed himself a starring role in Burberry’s SS25 swim campaign and as a brand ambassador, alongside his on-court contract with Nike.

American player Coco Gauff – long known for her on-court style - recently collaborated with New Balance and Miu Miu on a collection. While the current world no. 1, Naomi Osaka, has garnered a cult fashion following for her fun, cutesy take on her playing style – think space buns tied up with flowers, headphones adorned in big bows and tutu-inspired frothy underskirts.

Last year, it was the long-awaited release of Zendaya’s film, Challengers, that really moved the needle. A steamy, tennis-filled flick, which charts the rivalries of three talented players, from teenhood to adulthood, it’s a visual feast.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the man behind Call Me By Your Name, A Bigger Splash and Bones and All, and with costume design by the genius that is Jonathan Anderson, you’d expect nothing less. Zendaya, in slicked-back braids, fresh tennis whites, and a sports-induced glow, became our summer-style muse.

And in IRL, Zendaya went full method dressing on the red carpet in the run-up to the film’s release. With the help of her stylist Law Roach, she donned a series of tennis-inspired looks for Challengers premieres across the world. There was a tennis midi dress studded with crystals and teamed with a pair of white stiletto heels featuring tennis balls by Jonathan Anderson for Loewe in Rome, and a custom Thom Browne dress embellished with the Wimbledon logo (two crossed tennis rackets) and bows for London. Not to mention a white Calvin Klein suit worn in Rome, a knitted sporting V-neck in Monaco and a grass-green Loewe gown in Sydney.

It wasn't the first time tennis has been the main character. In 2004, Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany headed to the South London tennis courts in a sun-soaked, very British Wimbledon. Dubbed ‘the best bad romcom of all time ever’ by Stylist, it’s saturated in the tennis aesthetic. The pleats, the visors, the tennis socks, oh my.

In 2017, Emma Stone took on former world number one, Billie Jean King, in Battle of the Sexes, to recreate the true story of the 1973 tennis match between King and ex-champion Bobby Riggs. The same year saw the release of Borg vs. McEnroe, two of the biggest icons in tennis history whose contrasting style – on and off the court – made for one of the most exciting clashes in the game. And the style? Sweatbands, tracksuits, and tennis whites aplenty. In more real-life-as-art, King Richard tells the story of Venus and Serena Williams’ journey to stardom – thanks in no small part to their father, Richard, played by Will Smith.

Tennis becomes the muse for Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. From Richie (Luke Wilson) – the former tennis champ – who’s still donning his terry cloth headband long after he’s hung up his tennis racket – to Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) who takes her style cues from the sport with a striped tennis dress worn on repeat. A dress so iconic it inspired a capsule collection for Goop and Lacoste.

Tennis-related searches have been rising consistently over the past few years. Pinterest has confirmed that searches for 'tennis aesthetic' have increased by 37.5%, while searches for 'cute tennis outfits' by 69.95% and 'tennis clothes' by 150%. Everyone's favourite fashion analyst account, Databutmakeitfashion, has cited that general tennis searches were up 80% in March 2024. On TikTok, #tennis has over a million posts, with #tennistiktok quickly becoming its own community on the app. The people have spoken and tenniscore is what they want.

Long a backdrop to fashion, everyone from Peter Lindberg to Patrick Demarchelier and Helmut Newton have made the court their muse. Vogue.com lists a mega 34 editorials in which the game takes centre stage. Adidas were so taken that they named a trainer after the great Stan Smith. And that thing we call the tennis bracelet? It was inspired by tennis star Chris Evert’s signature diamond line bracelet she wore for each match. Mixing sportswear with high-octane jewellery – think Serena William’s chunky hoops and chains – has long been at play. If football is the beautiful game, then tennis is the fashionable game.

And when it comes to luxury brands themselves? Miu Miu followed on the success of their viral mini skirt (so famous it launched an Instagram account) with season after season that nod to the game. For SS25, they embraced a new-gen take on prep with pleated skirts, tennis whites, sporting jackets annd knee-high socks sent down the runway.

For Moroccan French brand Casablanca, founder Charaf Tajer has given the brand a consistent tennis spin over the seasons. Think matching tennis whites but with a touch of colour: green and blue stripes finish off the edges, ‘Casablanca Tennis Club’ is emblazoned onto sweats and caps, with 'Tennis Court Sneakers' available in pops of orange, green and white. 

Lacoste made their return to the runway last year as new creative director Pelagia Kolotouros made her debut with the brand’s AW24 collection at Paris Fashion Week. As expected, it featured tennis-heavy looks, from pleated skirts layered over trousers and dresses adorned with tennis racket designs, to tennis sneakers, branded jumpers and elevated polos in a palette of sporting greens and fresh white. For SS25, they took things a step further with bags shaped like pleated tennis skirts and special racket bags. 

And it’s not just the fashion world that’s enamoured. Our beauty looks are also taking their cues from the courts. With Y2K and ‘90s-inspired looks here to stay, it’s tennis player Anna Kournikova that we’re moodboarding right now. That slick-back, to-the-bum perfect plait that became her trademark (sound familiar, Zendaya?) was made for hot, sweaty summers.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find actress Farah Fawcett taking to the court with her ‘70s flip in full swing. A hairstyle so iconic that its debut on a swimsuit campaign in 1976 broke records as over 12 million copies were sold of the poster. A look that later became synonymous with her role in Charlie’s Angels and her moments on court. Over the past year, it’s been experiencing a comeback with ‘70s hair trending on TikTok (#70shairstyles currently has 80.5M views with #farahfawcetthair at 6.2M views), thanks in part to the hit show Daisy Jones & The Six, which charts the antics of a fictional band in a sun-soaked ‘70s Los Angeles.

Last year, Zendaya adopted Kournikova’s tennis hair for the red carpet. Dubbed by allure as “coqueletic”, a merge of the coquette trend that dominated in 2024 and the clean girl athletic vibe, the London premiere of Challengers saw the actress with a slicked-back plait. The high, tight braid used 26-inch clip-in extensions, according to her hairstylist Ursula Stephen.

As for its influence on our faces? Think fresh, dewy, radiant skin. Whilst Emma Raducanu et al might get their healthy complexions from actually playing, for the rest of us, it can be achieved with a little help from glow-giving skincare. Finish with a touch of blush (to make it look like you’ve really worked hard) and a slick of gloss.

With pickleball and padel mania taking over last summer (a bit like tennis but combined with badminton and ping pong, the racket becomes a paddle and court is shrunken) tenniscore has grown even further. According to a 2022 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport, while in the UK players are expected to triple in the next two years. Spend some time on Instagram and you’ll see why; pickleball courts are popping up in cities everywhere, from New York to London. It’s fast become a new favourite weekend pastime.

But what does it mean for your sporting wardrobe? Think stripes, shorts, pleated skirts and mini dresses. It’s that same tennis prep, but more fun. The best bit of tenniscore? You don’t even have to pick up a racket. Play on, on and off the court, we say.