Your Complete Guide to the Tennis-Core Trend

Trishna Rikhy

April 26, 2024 at 7:00 PM·5 min read

a person in a sports uniform — Your Complete Guide to the Tennis-Core TrendGetty Image / Courtesy of brand

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You don't have to be Roger Federer to notice that the tennis-core trend is back in full swing (a little tennis humor for you), but it certainly helps to take some notes on his style. Well, his style and the style of tennis players and watchers in general. After all, can you get any more stylish than the athletes and attendees at Wimbledon, a place where you can literally be fined for not wearing all white on the court, where the one percent go to do one percent things, where tennis-core style is at its peak?

We owe the return of tennis-core to the mainstream in no small part to Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, the tennis drama starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor, out this week. And despite what you may have seen on various red carpets for the film, tennis-core isn't quite dressing in the exact shade of neon yellow that a tennis ball is. Instead, it's more about leaning into the roots of tennis, the traditions and connotations that come with it—Princess Diana at Wimbledon, diamond tennis bracelets, preppy outfits, and the kind of easy, effortless elegance that can only be exuded by private-school alumni and people who took sailing and horseback-riding lessons in their youth.

As far as trends are concerned, this is one we can absolutely get behind. What can we say? People love to cosplay as the richest of the rich. (Remember when the phrase "quiet luxury"was everywhere while Succession's final season was airing last year?) And when you're actually the richest of the rich, tennis-core isn't a trend but a lifestyle. Maybe it'll ebb into the background a few weeks after the Challengers hype dies down, but we're betting it won't. And in the meantime, we're tapping in.

arthur ashe — Arthur Ashe at Wimbledon, 1975.Tony Duffy - Getty Images

What is tennis-core?

Tennis is a historically elite sport, and the corresponding tennis-core wardrobe reflects that level of privilege. Tennis-core is a niche where leisure and luxury go hand in hand, neatly paired with a strong G&T after game, set, and match.

Tennis-core style can be summed up in two words: sporty and chic. But honestly, it's more about the chic side. Think about heritage brands like Lacoste and new-money brands like Sporty & Rich—their clothes mimic on-court style, and some could even handle an actual match, but it's more about the elevated, old-money vibes, emulating a lifestyle of wealth and sophistication through practical, polished attire. Tennis-core is about looking like you never have to lift a finger but have had private lessons on how to wield a racket since childhood.

How to dress tennis-core

Pull out your pleats, polos, and light-hued linens, but feel free to leave the super-short shorts and damp sweatbands at home. Don that cable-knit vest, make sure your khaki pants are ironed, tie that cashmere sweater around your shoulders.

day two the championships wimbledon 2023 — Roger Federer at Wimbledon, 2023.Julian Finney - Getty Images

Tennis-core is a fusion of what an actual player and a spectator would wear. For women, this can be tennis skirts, pleated skorts, and tennis bracelets. For men, it's all about collared shirts, crisp tailoring, knitwear, and collegiate style that looks fresh out of a boarding school catalogue. Tennis-core looks a lot like how a Vampire Weekend song sounds.

Part of the history of tennis is the ability of a player to keep his tennis whites clean and stain-free, so you're going to see a lot of white, cream, and tan knits and linens in the tennis-core space. Tennis shoes are an obvious choice for footwear (so long as they're totally unscuffed and preferably white), but loafers, drivers, or boat shoes are a good choice, too.

And sorry to say it, but tennis-core isn't the place to let your streetwear drip reign free. This aesthetic is all about sticking to tradition, so buy your garments in a fitted size, tuck your shirt in, button your cuffs, and lean fully into that feeling of upper-class leisure.