16 Most Iconic Tennis Outfits to Grace the Court
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NEED TO KNOW
- Tennis players like Suzanne Lenglen, Serena Williams and Roger Federer have redefined court fashion with bold and elegant styles
- Iconic outfits, from Gussie Moran’s 1949 Wimbledon look to Naomi Osaka’s modern designs, have sparked cultural conversations
- Memorable moments include Venus Williams’ lace dress, Andre Agassi’s denim shorts and Billie Jean King’s sapphire-accented mini dress
Fashion is as much a part of tennis as the forehand.
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From the classically elegant whites of Wimbledon to rhinestone-studded dresses and denim shorts on a Grand Slam court, tennis players have always served looks.
The Williams sisters built their reputations as much on bold, boundary-pushing court fashion as on their dominance, with Venus Williams channeling that energy into her own label, EleVen, while Serena Williams redefined what a tennis kit could look like entirely.
Swiss legend Roger Federer brought a different kind of elegance: gold-accented sportswear and white tuxedo blazers at Wimbledon. Naomi Osaka has since emerged as a strong contender for that title, arriving at each tournament in looks that spark as much conversation as her game. And they are not alone in their passion for fashion.
Here are 16 of the most iconic tennis outfits to grace the court.
01 of 16
Suzanne Lenglen at the 1919 Wimbledon
Suzanne Lenglen during Wimbledon 1919.Credit: The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty
In an era where women were expected to serve and rally in high-necked long-sleeved tops and ankle length skirts, Suzanne Lenglen shocked 1919 Wimbledon by winning the tournament in a unique ensemble.
The 21-time champion sported a short sleeved shirt, calf-length skirt, white stockings, floppy hat and rubber soled shoes — revolutionizing women’s tennis attire from then on.
As a result of her on-court looks, Lenglen became both a fashion and sports cultural icon. Her footwear was coined the “Lenglen shoes” and she was soon referred to by the nickname “La Divine,” according to Vogue.
02 of 16
Gussie Moran at the 1949 Wimbledon
Gertrude Moran during Wimbledon 1949.Credit: George W. Hales/Fox Photos/Getty
Gertrude “Gussie” Moran’s look caused a stir at the 1949 Wimbledon tournament when her fitted white tennis dress included visible lace-trimmed silk undergarments.
“As Wimbledon rules forbade us to use colour, I thought a little lace trimming might look nice,” Moran’s stylist Ted Tinling wrote in his book Sixty Years in Tennis (via The Guardian). “It was nothing more than what my mother would have called ‘kitchen’ lace.”
However, Moran was accused of bringing “vulgarity and sin” into tennis by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, per BBC, and Tinling was banned from Wimbledon for 33 years, according to The New York Historical.
Among the public, however, Moran became somewhat of a fashion mogul. Widely referred to as “Gorgeous Gussie,” she was voted “best dressed sports woman” by the US Fashion Academy and was “inundated” with requests for appearances everywhere from shows to magazines and beauty contests, per Tinling.
03 of 16
Billie Jean King at the “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973
Billie Jean King during 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match.Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty
90 million watched women’s tennis powerhouse Billie Jean King defeat former men’s World No. 1 Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match dubbed the “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973.
In one of her more memorable looks, King wore a mini dress adorned with sapphire accents and iconic blue Adidas sneakers, which inspired a special edition drop in 2018.
04 of 16
Björn Borg at the 1978 French Open
Björn Borg during the 1978 French Open.Credit: AFP via Getty
Nobody did ‘70s tennis cool quite like Björn Borg. The Swede showed up to every match in a collared shirt, short-shorts and a headband holding back his shaggy hair.
His Fila pinstriped polo, inspired by Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees pinstripes, became one of the most recognizable looks in sports history.
“I don’t think at the time that we recognised how much of a defining era the 1970s would become,” Borg told GQ UK in July 2022.
05 of 16
John McEnroe at the 1980 US Open
John McEnroe during the 1980 US Open.Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty
John McEnroe appropriately embodied the decade with his 1980 US Open ensemble.
The 17-time Grand Slam winner took to the court in short-shorts, a white Sergio Tacchini polo with a red chest band and a thick headband that laid flat across his forehead.
06 of 16
Anne White at Wimbledon in 1985
Anne White during Wimbledon 1985.Credit: Getty
Anne White caused a media sensation at Wimbledon in 1985 by wearing a white spandex catsuit designed by Tinling, paired with chunky socks and a blue headband.
A tournament referee suggested she wear something different after the rain suspended play. She complied, but not before the look had already written itself into tennis history.
“I first came up with the idea about two months ago,” White told The Washington Post at the time. “I talked to the people at Pony (the company that supplies her tennis clothes), and they liked the idea and designed it for me.”
She continued, “The other girls thought it was great and thought I had a lot of guts to wear it. They thought it was funny. My friends just said, ‘Go for it Whitey.’ ”
07 of 16
Andre Agassi at the 1988 US Open
Andre Agassi during the 1988 U.S. Open.Credit: PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty
Andre Agassi wasn’t yet a household name when he arrived at the 1988 US Open with his voluminous hair, a baggy white shirt and acid-wash denim shorts.
The jorts were a first for tennis. The look gave fans a glimpse into the eight-time men’s singles Grand Slam champion’s nature.
“I never did anything with the intention of looking good on the court,” Agassi told Pickleball.com in December 2025. “My whole thing was rebellion, so if people thought it was something that shouldn’t be worn on a tennis court, I embraced it.”
08 of 16
Serena Williams at the 1999 US Open
Serena Williams during the 1999 US Open.Credit: Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty
At the 1999 US Open, 17-year-old Serena won the first of her numerous Grand Slam titles.
She dominated the court in a canary yellow Puma dress with black and white accents.
The tennis star’s mother did her hair for the tournament, and Williams chose the white beads to add in — an accessory she’s held on to in the years since.
“I felt like that was my freedom … being able to pick out my beads,” she told Vogue in August 2022.
09 of 16
Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open
Rafael Nadal during the 2005 French Open.Credit: Christophe SIMON / AFP via Getty
Rafael Nadal claimed the first of his 14 Roland Garros singles titles in 2005 in a bold green sleeveless shirt and capri-length pants. The look has since become part of tennis fashion history.
10 of 16
Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2007
Roger Federer during Wimbledon 2007.Credit: Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty
Federer won eight titles at The Championships, and in the 2007 final, Federer walked onto Center Court in a white blazer with gold trim to claim his fifth consecutive title.
His RF monogram has followed him from Nike to Uniqlo and has become as recognizable as the tennis legend himself.
11 of 16
Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the 2007 US Open
Bethanie Mattek during the 2007 U.S. Open.Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Bethanie Mattek-Sands served up a leopard-print set complete with a matching visor at the 2007 US Open.
Breaking the tennis-court-style mold was typical for Mattek-Sands, who sported a gold-lamé dress and headband earlier in the tournament.
“Fashion is a way that you can express yourself, and for me personally … it brought out my creativity and ultimately, it helped me define my personality,” she told the United States Tennis Association.
The pro athlete continued, “Even while I was on the court and you weren’t talking with me … it was a reflection of who I was.”
12 of 16
Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2008
Maria Sharapova during Wimbledon 2008.Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Russian star Maria Sharapova divided opinion at Wimbledon in 2008 before she even hit a ball.
Nike designed her a sheer tuxedo-style top-and-shorts combination — a nod to London’s bespoke tailoring tradition — ditching the traditional tennis skirt entirely.
“I’m changing it up this year,” she said ahead of the tournament, per British Vogue. “I’ve never worn shorts at a Grand Slam. I’m going to be debuting that. Call it menswear. It’s kind of like a tuxedo look, very simple lines, classic.”
13 of 16
Venus Williams at the 2010 French Open
Venus Williams during the 2010 French Open.Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Venus stopped the 2010 French Open in its tracks in a black lace dress from her own EleVen brand, with red spaghetti straps, red piping mimicking a corset, a ruffled lace hem and a skin-toned spandex lining.
“What’s the point of wearing lace when there’s just black under? The illusion of just having bare skin is definitely for me a lot more beautiful,” Venus said to the press in 2010, per Tennis.com.
14 of 16
Serena Williams at the 2018 French Open
Serena Williams during the 2018 French Open.Credit: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty
Serena returned to the French Open after giving birth to her first daughter in September 2017, wearing an all-black Nike catsuit inspired by Black Panther, which she dedicated on Instagram to “all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancy.”
The compression technology was a deliberate choice. The Grand Slam champ had experienced complications after labor, she told Vogue.
“I feel like a warrior in it,” she told reporters. “I’ve always wanted to be a superhero, and it’s kind of my way of being a superhero.”
The French Tennis Federation saw it differently. President Bernard Giudicelli told the Associated Press that a dress code would be implemented to regulate players’ uniforms.
15 of 16
Marta Kostyuk at Wimbledon in 2024
Marta Kostyuk during Wimbledon 2024.Credit: Robert Prange/Getty
Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk walked onto the Wimbledon grass in 2024 in a Wilson kit inspired by her own wedding dress, the first bridal-inspired design in the sporting brand’s history.
The sleeveless V-neck dress, dubbed “The Marta Dress,” featured a ruched cut-out back and was a direct nod to the gown she wore when she married George Kyzymenko in Cyprus in 2023.
“I think after Wimbledon is over, I will put this dress in the frame and hang it on the wall somewhere for sure,” she told the Wilson brand. “It definitely will be one of the highlights of my life and my career. I mean what ... else can you ask for?”
16 of 16
Naomi Osaka at the 2024 US Open
Naomi Osaka during the 2024 US Open.Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty
The two-time US Open champion made her return to Flushing Meadows in a Nike and Ambush designer Yoon Ahn collaboration.
The whimsical fit included a white cropped bomber jacket, a lime green ruffled skirt with a white petticoat underneath and a giant bow on the back, topped off with a matching visor.
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