As I sit watching the Cincinnati Open final tonight, I can’t help but notice that the match is only half the spectacle. The other half? The fashion. Just before play began, Jannik Sinner walked in carrying a custom Gucci bag and in that moment, I realized how tennis has become the most glamorous runway outside Paris or Milan.
That single accessory spoke volumes. A Gucci bag on the shoulder of one of the sport’s brightest stars wasn’t just a bag. It was a statement: tennis today isn’t only about serves and volleys but it’s about image, elegance, and the ongoing dialogue between sport and style.
Tennis and Luxury: A Natural Love Story
Tennis has always been a fashionable sport. From the crisp Wimbledon whites to René Lacoste turning his nickname into a fashion empire, elegance has been stitched into the game’s DNA. Unlike other sports that thrive on grit, tennis thrives on poise, country clubs, manicured lawns, and champagne bars that echo the refined world of couture.
No wonder luxury brands have long gravitated toward the sport. Both tennis and high fashion share values of heritage, precision, and aspiration. Watching Sinner stride in with Gucci tonight felt like the continuation of a decades-old love story.
Players as Style Icons
This generation of players isn’t just competing for titles; they’re setting style agendas.
- Jannik Sinner x Gucci: His partnership with Gucci feels effortless, tailored, modern, and instantly iconic. He even carried the same custom Gucci bag at Wimbledon this year after seeking special permission from the strict all-white dress code committee. It was a quiet rebellion, but also a signal: fashion is now inseparable from tennis.
- Naomi Osaka x Louis Vuitton: Her campaigns prove she’s as comfortable in couture as she is on hard courts.
- Serena Williams: From Off-White tutus at the US Open to custom Balmain moments, Serena doesn’t wear fashion..she rewrites it.
- Roger Federer: Even in Uniqlo, Federer maintains a polished aesthetic, with Rolex adding that unmistakable luxury sheen.
From my sofa tonight, I’m struck by how these athletes embody both performance and prestige, moving seamlessly between locker rooms and lookbooks.
The Rise of the Tennis Bag
Perhaps no accessory better captures the tennis-fashion crossover than the humble bag. Once a purely practical racquet carrier, it’s now an It-piece. Federer’s monogrammed Wilson bags are minimalist and refined. Sinner’s Gucci version, meanwhile, is unapologetically luxurious, structured, sleek, and paparazzi-ready.
Watching him carry it tonight, I couldn’t help but imagine Dior or Hermès creating their own versions: functional yet irresistible, designed to be spotted as much as swung.
Courtside Celebrities: A Second Runway
Of course, the glamour doesn’t stop at the baseline. The camera often cuts to the crowd, and it’s there that another fashion show unfolds. Anna Wintour’s bob-and-sunglasses are as iconic as Federer’s backhand. At any Grand Slam, you’ll spot Zendaya, Brad Pitt, the Beckhams, or Drake in luxury’s latest.
For brands, these tournaments are more than sports, they’re global stages. Every appearance becomes content, every outfit a statement.
What’s Next for Tennis and Fashion?
As the rallies heat up tonight, I can’t help but wonder: what’s next? The future seems inevitable. Hermès racquet covers. Vuitton trunks designed for the Grand Slam circuit. Dior tennis skirts reborn as ready-to-wear staples.
But what excites me most is how the players themselves are driving these stories. They’re not just wearing fashion rather they’re shaping it, blending athleticism with cultural influence in a way no other sport quite matches.
Match Point
And then—just like that—the drama shifts. Sinner retires hurt, the final ending not with a winner’s roar but a hush of disappointment. The Gucci bag that caught my eye at the start suddenly feels symbolic: even when the game falters, the image lingers.
From Wimbledon to Cincinnati, Sinner has proven that fashion in tennis is no longer a sideshow, it is a part of the main event. Because in this sport, the score will always be love all, but fashion wins.
