As Wimbledon kicked off this week, Naomi Osaka made a stunning entrance in a custom robe by Tokyo designer Hana Yagi, crafted from vintage kimonos and bridal gowns, worn over a white Nike tennis dress. The elaborate walk-on look was designed to be removed in under a minute, revealing her game-ready attire. “I wanted the garment to exist as the moment before performance,” Yagi told Vogue. “The walk-on surrounds Naomi in ceremony, while the Nike kit represents the athlete in competition.”
This high-fashion moment might seem like a new chapter in tennis style, but the sport has always been deeply intertwined with fashion. From the early days of Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills, who wore ensembles by Parisian designers like Jean Patou and Gabrielle Chanel, to modern icons like Serena Williams and Roger Federer, tennis has long been a canvas for personal expression.
“Women just wanted to freely move, and so did the men,” said Sunita Kumar Nair, author of “ACE: The Times and Style of Tennis.” “And because these people were generally very rich, they could afford to go to Jean Patou or Gabrielle Chanel.”
Tennis is unique among sports in that it has no uniform, allowing players to showcase their individuality during matches that can last up to five hours. “Most of them are extraordinary personas, and they’re contained within this box to play,” Kumar Nair noted. “So they take their uniform-less play as an opportunity.”
Even within strict dress codes like Wimbledon’s all-white rule, players find ways to express themselves. In 2008, Roger Federer wore a traditional white cardigan with gold buttons, while Rafael Nadal opted for sleek Nike whites with a matching headband. “When somebody asks you to shut one door, you open another,” an Adidas designer told Kumar Nair, relishing the creative challenge.
Today, designers are pushing boundaries further, creating pieces that are both aesthetically fresh and practical. Yagi’s design for Osaka, for instance, can be removed in under a minute. “There is more of a seal of approval for their designs if the model or athlete is really moving and prancing around,” Kumar Nair said.
With tennis now drawing fashion commentary on par with award shows, the sport’s style evolution shows no signs of slowing down. “I feel tennis has graduated on that spectrum, that creative arc, and it’s just getting better and better,” she added.
