Rules of the game

If there has been a sport that has grabbed the most attention for its sense of style, it is tennis. Tennis wear has informed mainstream ready-to-wear more than we realise, with the proliferation of the tennis short skirt and the casual collared jerseys, popularised by sports brands such as Reebok and Nike, but also regular wear such as the tennis collar shirt. While there were strict rules about what to wear, and what not to on court (rules are still strict in certain courts such as Wimbledon), players have carved identities for themselves, and their personal style has become a crucial aspect of the game.

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Statement clothing Women players have been singled out for their attire, to an extent where their clothes are as talked about as their game. But this isn’t new. Katherine Hepburn, iconic American actress known for her androgynous bias in clothing, made headlines when she wore a pair of shorts to court with a pullover, way before the tennis skirt was even born. As in all sports, in a nod to feminist rhetoric perhaps, even if salaries aren’t uniform irrespective of gender, sports attire for men and women have started resembling each other in its principal functionality above everything else. While there aren’t any ‘feminine’ colours anymore, we aren’t seeing a pro male player turning up in a custom cut outfit a la Venus Williams any time soon.

Speaking of the Williams sisters, their finesse on the field isn’t limited to the game. The sisters have broken the rules of fashion, both participating in top fashion weeks and launching their own popular fashion lines. A 21 times Grand Slam champion (seven singles), Venus has collaborated with Ralph Lauren for Reebok. Her clothing line EleVen is for ‘fashion forward athletic women’, and sees a departure from the traditional tennis whites. This is all part of the plan; Williams holds a prestigious fashion degree as well as an MBA. Serena has slayed several fashion weeks too. She released her third signature line with HSN at New York Fashion Week last year.

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Branded as stars Men’s fashion statements have been more corporate, driven for marketing. For instance, while Novak Djokovic’s tennis attire is routine, his flamboyance off-court is more interesting. Federer has his own logo, as does RaFa, a bull insignia. Both Andy Murray and Djokovic, rounding up the big four of tennis male atheletes, have their logos as well, which are mostly used for personalised merchandise.

Federer’s personalised merchandise incorporates a lot of red, and is sponsored by Nike, who sponsors Nadal as well. Djokovic is sponsored by Uniqlo.