Gucci Revives Its 1970s Sports History and Taps Into the Tennis-core Craze in New Collection

GUCCI’S TENNIS COURT: Gucci’s ambitions on the tennis court are getting even more serious.

After unveiling a campaign with Italian tennis ace Jannik Sinner and driving buzz online this week when the brand ambassador appeared on the Roland Garros court sporting a Gucci x Head all-white leather duffel bag — the result of a one-off collaboration — the Italian luxury house is dropping a tennis capsule collection.

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Aimed at spotlighting its historic link with the sport, which dates to the ‘70s, the collection launching in June puts a Gucci spin on traditional tennis attire such as men’s and women’s tennis sets comprising white shorts and skirt paired with tank tops or knitted polo shirts. They all bear the house’s signature green and red striped Web details.

The collection is complemented by a range of accessories including a duffel bag, racket backpack and bag, as well as shoe holders done in a white-on-white version of the signature GG monogram with striped Web accents. Smaller accessories including caps and wristbands are also part of the lineup, as well as the Tennis 1977 and Ace sneakers crafted from white monogram canvas and leather.

Before its global rollout at select Gucci boutiques and on the brand’s online store, a selection of items including the GG monogram duffel bag and Ace sneakers are already available at the Gucci Paris flagship stores on Rue Royale and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The units feature a dedicated window display decked in the green and red Web stripes.

A campaign dedicated to the collection is to bow next month.

Gucci’s affinity for tennis bloomed in the late ‘70s, when the brand expanded its line of tennis-related products, notably focusing on accessories and footwear. This included the Tennis 1977 sneakers — one of the first sneakers to be produced by a luxury brand. The brand’s foray into the sport continued well into the ‘80s, with a ready-to-wear selection that became popular with both athletes and lovers of the sport alike.

Sinner, a Gucci ambassador since 2022, recently appeared in the brand’s “Gucci is a feeling” campaign, captured in reportage-style images mimicking his entrance on a tennis court sporting different iterations of the famed Gucci GG monogram duffel bag, the style he first carried at the Wimbledon Championships last year.

Fashion’s love of tennis shows no signs of waning. Cue Louis Vuitton recently unveiling its latest “Core Values” campaign, fronted by Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal and his equally revered rival Roger Federer, as well as Kiton and its brother label KNT debuting a tennis capsule collection.

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