Since the early years of the last century, when former tennis player René Lacoste founded LACOSTE in 1933, tennis players and fashion have been close friends on and off court. Some with collabs, some with independent brands, the women in tennis certainly know how to express themselves through their clothing. Let’s take a look at some who have changed the market!
Coco Gauff
The 21-year-old American has had a partnership with New Balance since 2022. She, who won the US Open in 2023, has expressed that fashion is one her passions, alongside tennis. Signing with NB was a risky move, some may say, since it isn’t as known as Nike and Adidas, but it has given her the opportunity to be the brand’s spotlight.
Besides the very styled given outfits for each tournament, Coco launched her first collection with NB in 2021. The print and colors resemble the New York City’s 90’s graffiti and street art, she claimed.
Mixing luxury and streetwear, Gauff also modeled for New Balance’s collaboration with Aimé Leon Dore, a brand founded by Teddy Santis in Queens (NYC).
To primarily launch the player into the tennis world, NB launched a campaign called “Call me Coco”, referring to her nickname, given by her grandma, Cori. When she won the US Open in 2023, they then launched the 2.0 version: “Call me Champion”.
The shoes worn by the American are also personalized. The “Coco CG1”, inspired by basketball, became her signature shoe in 2022. And the “Coco CG2” is now also available.
Naomi Osaka
The four-time Grand Slam champion has long expressed her love for fashion and always tried to fit it into the tennis world. She not only is the first Asian number one tennis player in the world and the first (and only) Japanese to win a slam, she also has a long history with collabs and her own collections, even modeling at the New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
Osaka turned professional in 2013 and won slams from 2018 to 2021. But in 2021, she paused her career in order to receive mental health help. Then, 3 years later and a daughter, she made her return to courts in 2024. Have a look at some of my favorites:
1. US OPEN 2024
2. NAOMI OSAKA X LEVI’S
3. NAOMI OSAKA X NIKE
4. NAOMI OSAKA X LOUIS VUITTON
And she also plans on starting her own clothing brand soon: “I’d like to start my own brand one day, probably together with my sister”, said Osaka to People. “But for now I’m loving collaborating with some great designers and learning the craft and the business.”
Venus Williams
Venus Williams launched EleVen in 2007, a sportswear brand with “11/10” as the slogan. “I was inspired by being better than your best. Be an 11/10, whether I’m on the court or off it. It made sense to launch a fitness line dedicated to that vibe,” she told Page Six.
Apart from the sport, she also launched, in 2016, a line for travelling and leisure called Epitome. This time, the slogan was “You’ve done the work, now live.” To top it all off, Venus studied fashion design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Unfortunately, EleVen stopped its operations as of February 2024, with little to no explanation. “This pause is not a farewell but a see you soon”, Williams wrote. “We are dedicated to embodying our credo, ‘Be your best self,’ and this break will allow us to do just that. (…) Your support has inspired me personally, and I’m excited to come back and continue the journey together.”
“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s a crucial step towards ensuring that we come back stronger and better than ever. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and loyalty to the EleVen brand. Your commitment means the world to us”, claimed the former world number one.
Serena Williams
Serena also went to fashion school at the beginning of her tennis career. She claimed to share the love for both tennis and fashion and to look for a way for them to coexist.
S by Serena was founded in 2018. At the brand’s website, she claims “celebrate the smart, sexy, sophisticated, strong and stylish qualities of each customer to empower them to feel their best, look their best, and be their best selves.”
The brand, however, was also discontinued in 2024. “Since 2018, we have thoughtfully designed and produced fashion collections to inspire you to show up as your best self. As of January 31, 2024, S by Serena collections are no longer available for purchase through the S by Serena website”, wrote Team Serena.
Maria Sharapova
Sugarpova was launched in 2012 as a candy brand. She said that, even though she enjoyed training, what she really looked forward to were the candies she would eat later.
Everything that involved the brand – packaging, design etc – were all fashion inspired. The marketing focused on modern aesthetics, mixing it with fashion by collaborating with big designers.
However, Sugarpova was discontinued in 2021. Last year, at the Paris Fashion Week, she hinted that she could be starting a new business soon. She talked about how the fashion world works and her inspirations in the industry.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King’s impact on tennis goes far beyond her 39 Grand Slam titles. As a trailblazer for gender equality, she was also a fashion icon who used her style to break the stereotypical image of female athletes and how they were supposed to dress.
One of her most memorable moments in fashion was at the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match against Bobby Riggs, where King wore a simple yet striking Adidas dress that combined both function and style.
The outfit was a reflection of her commitment to making tennis a more inclusive and progressive sport. Her long lasting partnership with Adidas helped push the boundaries for women’s sportswear, creating more practical, stylish options for female athletes.
Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf’s dominance on the court, with an impressive 22 Grand Slam singles titles, was matched by her elegant style. One of her most iconic outfits was at the 1988 French Open, where she wore a clean, minimalist white dress with pastel details.
She was also sponsored by Adidas and the partnership went well beyond her playing days, marking her as an important figure in sportswear. Graf’s influence helped pave the way for the shift towards more fashionable, functional tennis wear for women, creating new standards in both the aesthetics and practicality of athletic apparel.
Chris Evert
Chris Evert was as known for her poised presence off the court as for her 18 Grand Slam titles. In the 1970s, she popularized the use of Lacoste’s polo shirts and skirts, which became synonymous with fine athleticism.
Evert’s classic and feminine style also made moves when she wore a high-neck white dress at Wimbledon in 1974, a look that became an instant trend. Blending glamour and sport, she showed that women in tennis didn’t have to choose between elegance and athleticism.
With her partnership with Lacoste, Evert brought a level of tennis fashion that had never been seen before. The brand’s association with Evert helped the brand launch into the women’s sportswear market in a major way, and her style helped define the “preppy” look that was embraced in tennis and beyond. Evert’s influence on tennis fashion was a game-changer, and she remains one of the sport’s most stylish icons.
Suzanne Lenglen
Long before sportswear became the norm for women, Suzanne Lenglen was making moves in tennis fashion. With her impressive record of 6 Roland Garros and 2 Wimbledon championships, Lenglen’s approach to tennis wear was revolutionary. She defied the traditional, restrictive long dresses worn by female athletes in the early 20th century, opting for a shorter skirt and a more breathable blouse.
Her outfit of choice at the 1922 Wimbledon — a practical outfit that allowed for movement and comfort —was one of the earliest examples of functional tennis fashion. Lenglen’s daring move didn’t just alter how women dressed in tennis; it was symbolic of her impact on gender roles and norms in sports.
She showed the world that elegance could coexist with practicality, and in doing so, she laid the foundation for future tennis fashion innovators like Evert. Suzanne’s role in mixing fashion with tennis was a defining moment in the sport’s cultural shift.
All the women that graced the tennis world, past, present and likely future, somehow managed to unite fashion, a “female-dominated field”, with sports, a “male-domintaed field”. Not necessarily with big moves or collaborations, some simply broke the stereotypical outfit that many would classify as “correct”, some decided to hop on the bright colors trend and others even designed their own, but all, in every way, proved that there’s no right path for women’s clothing in tennis, or in any sport for that matter.
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The article above was edited by Fernanda Miki Tsukase.
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