Game, Set, Match: Why the Tenniscore Trend Continues to Serve

As with most fashion trends, the tenniscore movement is one that’s come back around and in a big way. Like Beyonce was to cowboycore, Zendaya and her Challengers press tour looks have done a hefty part of the lifting when it comes to the preppy style’s resurgence, but that’s not the only reason we’re returning to the court and the core this season. Fashion week runways have played their part too, with looks from Spring/Summer 2023 and 2024 fuelling the revitalization of the trend, alongside brands like Casablanca and Lacoste, whose sports-inspired ethos have only grown in popularity in recent times.

According to Depop, searches for tennis-oriented brands like Slazenger and adidas are up over 90% this month, while searches for specific tennis clothing like tennis skirts and polo shirts are up over 50%. Similarly, viral Instagram account databutmakeitfashion states that the popularity of “tennis style” has increased by 80% overall. Elsewhere, Pinterest notes that “In particular, people are on the hunt for ‘black tennis skirt outfits’, ‘tennis skirt outfits’ ‘v neck sweaters’.”

 

Alongside the rise due to fashion brands and It-girls, the trend’s popularity can also be attributed to an evolution of activewear and athleisure, offering a halfway point between the casual dressing we loved from lockdown and the elevated, tailoring-heavy clothing we’re shifting towards. Tennis fashion seemingly fuses the best of both worlds, offering comfort-oriented dressing with a touch of elegance.

Trend forecasting company WGSN also attributes the resurgence to a continuing affiliation with sports as a result of the pandemic, with tennis being one of the more popular sports at the time due to its organically socially-distanced nature. Elsewhere, it’s the growing relationships between athletes and fashion brands and sports brands and fashion icons like Dua Lipa and Evian, Emma Raducanu and Tiffany & Co. that continue to propel the rise in such sport-oriented trends.

Ahead, we review some of the biggest contributors to the tenniscore trend, from Louis Vuitton and LOEWE‘s custom Challengers looks to Lacoste’s runway return.

Stay tuned for more updates coming soon as we continue to spot tennis-inspired looks across new campaigns and releases.

Sporty & Rich x Lacoste Collaboration

In June 2023, Emily Oberg’s casual luxury label Sporty & Rich teamed up with Lacoste for the first time ever, resulting in a 22-piece collection which aimed to transport its wearer to a fantasy French Riviera. Comprising traditional tennis silhouettes with contemporary design details, the collection was packaged up in a dreamy pastel color palette, taking cues from archival Lacoste pieces from the 1970s and ’80s, designed with a new, collaborative logo reminiscent of private tennis clubs.

Casablanca K7 Racket Campaign

Back in August 2023, Casablanca decided to pay tribute to its origins by releasing its first-ever official tennis racket, developed by MAD Paris and assembled in the UK. Leaning into its sporty heritage, the luxury label celebrated the release with a tennis-inspired campaign that fused its elegant apparel offering with tennis-inspired tropes.

Miu Miu SS24

Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection offered a more generalized take on the trend, focusing instead on subtle details taken from classic sportswear and poolside designs. That said, navy polo tops and matching miniskirts seemingly pulled from tennis-inspired outfits, alongside slouchy drawstrings and athletic materials.

Lacoste’s Return to the Runway

Next up, Lacoste made its triumphant runway return at Paris Fashion Week this past season, debuting its first collection by new creative director, Pelagia Kolotouros at the iconic Roland Garros Stadium. The brand’s signature sporty aesthetic was distilled into a high fashion showcase, fusing pleated miniskirts and tennis greens with elevated polos and knitwear.

Zendaya’s Challengers Outfits

Finally, Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Challengers has the fashion world in a chokehold, given it stars Zendaya as a tennis coach and features custom costumes by Jonathan Anderson. Outside of the premise itself, it’s the promo that’s having the biggest impact so far, with its press junket resulting in a slew of chic court-inspired looks courtesy of LOEWE, Louis Vuitton and of course: Lacoste.

PUMA x KidSuper Sports Club Collection

PUMA‘s latest team-up with Colm Dillane, aka KidSuper centers around classic silhouettes inspired by football, but also includes nods to tenniscore, fusing subtle color palettes with tennis whites.