Conquer the Court With This Supremely Stylish Tennis Gear

In seventh grade, I received some distressing news: There would be no gym class offered that spring. Not that I liked gym class—quite the opposite—but by participating in it, I had thus far been able to avoid playing an actual sport, the kind that would force me to compete against complete strangers for the meager reward of knowing I’d done my best. My next best option, I decided, was a new offering called “instructional tennis.” I signed up, my displeasure at the idea of running around outside lessened by the fact that I’d have an excuse to buy the extremely cool white terrycloth visor I’d recently spotted at Gap Kids.

Long before coquette-core took over TikTok, a 16-year-old Chris Evert made her U.S. Open debut in 1971 in an angelic lace dress and hair ribbon.

Tony Triolo /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

Arthur Ashe, a.k.a. the chicest person to ever set foot on a tennis court, competes—in aviators, of course—at the 1978 U.S. Open.

Focus on Sport/Getty Images

To my surprise, I didn’t completely hate it—and, more importantly, realized that tennis could be the gateway to an entirely new wardrobe. When the season ended, I began taking weekly lessons at our club with an endlessly patient pro named Mariska; after a few years spent learning the intricacies of scoring and how not to topple over every time I hit the ball, I decided to put my hard-earned skills to use by joining the school tennis team.

Then, tragedy struck: Immediately following my first match, the coach pulled me aside to suggest that I might be better suited to a position as team manager. With my head hung low, I returned to gym class, my tennis career cut short by the inconvenient necessity of being able to actually play tennis.

Sure, Yannick Noah and Björn Borg look absolutely flawless in short-shorts and track jackets at the 1982 Monte Carlo Open, but did you see the fit on that ball boy?

Professional Sport/Popperfoto via Getty Images

My sartorial interest in tennis, however, continued unabated. I filled my teenage closet with pleated white skirts, amassed a sizable Lacoste collection, and wore a racquet-embroidered Juicy Couture skirt and matching t-shirt with almost zero irony. Today, despite having only a vague familiarity with the current state of tennis, I can spend hours scrolling through photos of its Golden Age stars (Tracy Austin’s dresses! Chris Evert’s bows! Arthur Ashe’s aviators!) and find the U.S. Open to be infinitely more enjoyable than any other sporting event. I haven’t stopped thinking about Challengers‘ pitch-perfect Jonathan Anderson–designed costumes since I saw it in theaters (twice!), and while on a recent trip to Newport, paid a visit to the International Tennis Hall of Fame for purely aesthetic reasons.

So, like any good sports story about overcoming adversity, mine ends with an important moral: When at first you don’t succeed, just throw in the towel—and keep the outfits.

Get the Look

US Open Cotton Cable-Knit Cardigan by POLO Ralph Lauren

I wouldn’t say that the best thing about tennis tournaments are the merch, but I wouldn’t not say it, either. (Also: bring back the tennis cardigan!)

$228, ralphlauren.com

Dr. Johnson Tennis Umpire Chair by McKinnon and Harris

Why exert yourself when you can watch the action from your very own umpire’s chair? (It’s named after tennis coach Dr. Robert Walter “Whirlwind” Johnson, by the way.)

From $25,930, mckinnonharris.com

Rolex Datejust 36 in Oystersteel and white gold

Icons only. (And by “icons” we mean Arthur Ashe, Chris Evert, Roger Federer, Coco Gauff…)

$9,050, rolex.com

The Racquet Oxford by Palmes x Sperry

Because everyone needs a pair of white canvas trainers. (Or a dozen.)

$100, palmes.co

Negril Tennis Club Tote by Brother Vellies

Would it be weird to carry this around even if you didn’t play tennis? Asking for a friend.

$1,095, brothervellies.com

String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis

Required reading.

$20, barnesandnoble.com

Tech piqué chevron polo by tory burch

It’s Zendaya-approved. Need I say more?

$99, stillfried.com

Antique Stripe Bow Barrette by Bode

Make like 1970s Chris Evert and put a bow on it. This one is made from 100-year-old silk ribbon, in case you were wondering.

$295, bode.com

18k Yellow Gold Deuce Court Ceramic Diamond Tennis Bracelet by Minty

Another reason to get into tennis? The bracelets, obviously.

$6,900, modaoperandi.com

Wilson Clash Roland Garros 2024 Tennis Racquet

I was once advised not to buy a tennis racquet based solely on the fact that it was cute (and came with a Venus Williams–inspired beaded bracelet). I’d get this one anyway.

$229, tennisexpress.com