LONDON – Fashion is a big deal in the tennis world. Just ask Jannik Sinner.
“After what Jannik did at Wimbledon with the Gucci bag…!” exclaimed Andrey Rublev in Torino before the start of the ATP Finals.
Put in context: Novak Djokovic was leading a dynamic of funny questions together with the other top seven tennis players of 2023. They all gave humorous answers.
“Who will do the best pre-match walk out?,” read Djokovic. “Gucci, Gucci,” shouted some players. Sinner was the winner by unanimous vote.
With Centre Court as a catwalk in 2023, the deal between the Italian luxury fashion brand and the red-haired tennis player marked its first crowning moment. The custom beige bag is totally transgressive considering Wimbledon’s white dress code, so Gucci and Sinner had to seek clearance from the All England Club, the Grand Slams board, the ITF and even the ATP to carry it.
It was worth the gamble. It was a hit afterwards and the media and social networks loved it.
Fashion is an important subject in the world of tennis. Just ask Matteo Berrettini.
The former world No. 6 signed a long-term deal with Boss in 2022. The German luxury fashion brand created a capsule collection with his name on it, of which he is a guest designer.
“I enjoy (the fashion industry) since I got into it. It’s something different that has made me meet a lot of people. Sometimes, just playing, playing, playing… it’s not that it’s boring, but I need to do other things,” Berretini said in front of accredited press.
The photoshoots speak for themselves. Berrettini has since become a fashion icon, just as her younger compatriot began to be hand in hand with her explosion.
“Jannik is very funny because all the time he says, ‘They tell me what to wear and I wear it.’ It’s very natural and goes with the flow. I think that’s his strength in this (fashion) world,” Berrettini said.
The two will face each other this Wednesday at Wimbledon. Sinner is the favorite because of his status as world number one, but Berrettini is perhaps the worst draw he could have been dealt in the second round.
A 2021 Wimbledon finalist and champion of four other grass-court tournaments, Berrettini loves the surface. It helps him mask his backhand problems and create more damage with his slice. Combining that with his big serve and powerful forehand, the result is a very dangerous grass-court player.
A problem for his colleague in both tennis and the fashion industry.