The Finest-Dressed Male Tennis Gamers of All-Time

Within the ‘70s, Borg was the primary man to select aside the normal gown code of tennis. With lengthy blonde locks, a striped sweatband and a continuing rotation of disco-inspired ‘suits, the Scandinavian was successful on and off the courts, and a long time later he was the inspiration behind Richie Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson’s cult traditional, The Royal Tenenbaums. He was most recognisable for his Fila endorsement, that noticed him put on observe tops initialled ‘BJ’ and his well-known Fila Settanta Mk1 polo shirt. However his fashion-forward standing was cemented when he began his personal line in 1984.

You don’t typically see social activism and sport overlap, however that was the case for Arthur Ashe. Not solely was he the primary and solely Black man to win Wimbledon in 1975, however the tennis participant additionally devoted his life post-retirement to civil and human rights, utilizing his platform to assist battle apartheid in South Africa and create inner-city tennis and employment programmes for the youthful technology. In addition, he additionally had immaculate fashion. Ashe proved why a conventional tennis look was and can at all times be cool, preserving to a uniform of impartial polo shirts and shorts that had been accessorised by square-frame glasses and a easy gold chain. Emulating his look couldn’t be simpler; the artistic minds behind Rowing Blazer’s launched a model in his honour final summer season.

As famend for his mood (transfer over Kyrgios) as his supreme volleying on the courts, McEnroe is a memorable character with a catchphrase – many bear in mind him shouting “You can’t be critical?!” to a Wimbledon empire in 1981. As an everyday rival to Borg, his look too was in the identical class: a crimson sweatband would typically cowl his curly barnet, finishing a observe prime and quick shorts combo. The clear sartorial distinction between the 2 gamers? McEnroe could be noticed with a pair of sports activities socks pulled excessive.

It’s uncommon to listen to of a sportsman who wholeheartedly hates the game they play, however Andre Agassi was one among them. Pushed onto the court docket by an overbearing father, the participant – who proved that you simply don’t have to like one thing to be good at it – rebelled by way of his outfit decisions within the Eighties and Nineties, even refusing to play at Wimbledon for a couple of years on account of its conventional all-white gown code. This resulted in seems to be constructed round acid-wash shorts, a memorable mullet, block-print polo shirts and vibrant sun shades that introduced an anti-establishment air to the tennis scene. It was so placing that Nike introduced again the designs in 2020, working with Agassi to create a twenty first century model of his famend Problem Courtroom assortment.

In addition to super fashion kudos, Eighties tennis star Yannick Noah – nicknamed Tennis Rastelli – is equally as well-loved his is hair evolution, which went from a brief Afro to dreads that bobbed back and forth whereas he performed. As nonetheless the one French participant to have gained the French Open, Noah is of nationwide hero standing – much more so when he wore a David Bowie tee throughout his follow rounds at Wimbolden, rebelling in true French vogue in opposition to the championship’s conventional apparel. Le Coq Sportif additionally has him to thank for bringing the model into the mainstream, later renaming his Crescendo picket racket to the Noah Professional in his honour. And to prime off his cool credentials, Noah moved onto music after retiring from tennis.