How Wilson Turned the Tennis Court Into a Runway
After years of viral moments and dresses immortalized in the sport’s history books, the storied sportswear brand has emerged as one of tennis’ greatest tastemakers.
Tennis has historically been one of the most fashionable sports in the world. For decades, pleated skirts, cashmere cardigans, and collared mini dresses have dominated preppy fashion, inspiring luxury houses and country club-adjacent labels. The looks that have inspired the likes of Lacoste and Sergio Tacchini, and more recently brands like Sporty & Rich, have largely come from the sport’s fashion icons – Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. That makes sense for a sport fueled by individual brilliance, but for the first time in forever, a brand is one of tennis’ biggest tastemakers, and it’s not the obvious choice either.
Wilson is a giant in the world of tennis. If you’ve ever picked up a ball and racket at some point in your life, the odds are that both were made by Wilson. Despite its overwhelming dominance when it comes to tennis equipment, the fashionable side of tennis is still dominated by the lifestyle brands and sportswear titans.
That’s all changing, though. Over the last few years, Wilson has quietly been producing some of the most fashion-forward designs in the sport, not only for its elite athletes as they perform on the biggest stages, but for the everyday consumer.
Earlier this year, Marta Kostyuk’s Wimbledon dress made headlines for the second time in her career. With the London tournament’s strict all-white dress code giving brands the chance to get creative with their design process to create a look that stands out from the rest, Kostyuk and Wilson went bridal – again.
Back in 2024, the duo created a look inspired by her wedding dress. Mimicking the deep V-neck and open-back design, her dress caught the eye of many, serving as more of an everyday summer staple than a piece of sportswear. The 2024 dress was eventually inducted into the Wimbledon Museum, and for 2026, Wilson made fashion history again.
A similarly bridal style, Kostyuk’s dress was technically a two-in-one creation, featuring an open front, soft lace dress with a matching cropped top worn underneath to create a structured illusion with small cut-outs and peekaboo details. Painting a stunning picture against the grass courts in London, the look sent the world into a frenzy, with the brand eventually giving the public a chance to buy her kit. It sold out almost instantly.
With microtrends on the rise, and every sport suddenly becoming a “core” in the vernacular of TikTok users and Pinterest curators, the viral Marta dress and the quick rollout that took place following its popularity were a masterclass in marketing. However, despite “tenniscore” being on the rise, Wilson’s fashionable mind and its ability to cater to a demographic outside of athletes and casual tennis players don’t rely on viral moments. In fact, it’s the opposite.
“What’s exciting about this moment is that tennis is no longer being viewed exclusively through the lens of sport; there’s a much broader cultural interest around it. For us, that doesn’t mean chasing a trend. It means thinking more expansively about how people want to live in the product. Tennis has this really unique ability to bring together luxury, comfort and performance, and I think that’s part of why the aesthetic has resonated so strongly outside of the court,” said Global Chief Creative Officer of Wilson Sportswear Joelle Michaeloff in an interview.
“As we approach new collections, the opportunity is to keep building on that versatility while still making sure everything feels distinctly Wilson. We want the product to make sense whether someone is playing, watching, traveling or simply drawn to the language of tennis style. The cultural conversation has gotten much bigger, so our job is to keep pushing what Wilson can look like within that conversation without losing what makes the brand credible in the first place.”
Rather than finding inspiration on the same Pinterest boards that have been flooded with vintage tennis dresses and off-duty outfits, Wilson’s inspiration comes directly from the athletes themselves. Through its Tennis 360 sponsorship program, the brand’s elite athletes have a direct say in future designs and products, allowing Wilson to further straddle the line between performance and fashion with feedback from the professionals.
In 2023, at 20 years old, Kostyuk became Wilson’s first 360 athlete. In three years, that partnership has developed into two unforgettable Wimbledon kits and countless colorful dresses made to stand out on the courts. Merging the young Ukrainian’s interest in fashion with the innovative design language the brand has developed over the years, Tennis 360 is just one of the few ways Wilson has started to lap the competition when it comes to style.
Wilson designs don’t try too hard to be groundbreaking, avant-garde or chic. Each design is carefully thought out with fabrics that catch the light a certain way, or colors that stand out against the clay courts in France and the blues of New York and Miami. Compared to other brands, there is a greater sense of consideration that goes into each look.
The brand frequently outfits its players in cropped tops and skorts, versatile dresses that can be styled to fit each athlete’s personal aesthetic and full kits that can easily be worn out casually. The Wilson look is classic, heavily influenced by traditional tennis attire and infused with a touch of nostalgia. It is everything the fashionable fan and casual consumer are looking for without attempting to go against the grain and falling flat.
Michaeloff mused on Wilson’s place in the world of fashion, saying, “We’re not entering tennis from the outside; we’ve been part of the sport for generations. So, when we engage with fashion, it’s coming from a place of authenticity. The goal is not to imitate what fashion is doing with tennis, but to show what tennis can contribute to fashion when it’s viewed through Wilson’s own history, innovation and design language.”
That measured approach is exactly what makes Wilson so special in this era of sport and fashion where everyone is chasing a viral moment. The style comes naturally to the sportswear brand, and with a growing roster of athletes – from Kostyuk to wonderkid Victoria Mboko – leading the line, there’s much more to come.
Wilson might not be the first brand that comes to mind when you’re planning out your seasonal wardrobe or looking for a few extra pieces to round out your closet, but let this be a sign that it should be. Fashion and tennis have always gone hand-in-hand, but Wilson is building something truly special at the intersection of the two.
