A Look Back at the Fanciful Fashion History of Tennis

It’s an exciting time for tennis fans these next few weeks. Currently, the French Open is underway in Paris, and the 123rd edition of the tournament has seen pros such as Rafael Nadal and Coco Gauff hit the courts. Next month in the City of Light, the 2024 Vogue World show will also celebrate 100 years of fashion and sport, including a spotlight on the surprisingly-chic history of tennis. Tennis has an extremely fanciful fashion history, dating back to when players donned corsets, floor-length skirts, and even little chapeaus.

Originally known as lawn tennis, the sport first emerged in Britain during the 1800s, and was played by Victorian men and women on the grass. Though tennis pros today often wear athletic-style clothing focused on performance and comfort, the beginnings of tennis style saw players embrace a more, well, flamboyant approach to dressing for the court.

Throughout the 1800s, it was regulation that all players—men and women—strictly wear all-white. (Today, the Wimbledon tournament still follows this rule, though women are now allowed to wear colored undershorts.) What the court looks lacked in color back in the 1800s, they made up for in extreme silhouettes; It wasn’t unusual for women to don skin-tight corsets during a match, which were often worn over floor-length dresses. Why so snazzy? At the time, tennis was viewed as a high-class sport, and the court looks matched the fashion trends of the moment as a result.

This elevated approach to tennis style lasted for quite a while. It wasn’t until the 1920s that things began to loosen up. Colored trims were slowly allowed, and trailblazers such as French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen defied convention by wearing short-sleeve or sleeveless tops with skirts (nodding to the flapper silhouettes of the era). Since then, tennis outfits have gotten far more casual and fashion forward; Never forget Serena Williams’s Off-White tutu at the 2018 U.S. Open, for instance.

These days, what players wear on the court are designed for one primary function: To help them win. It’s more about function over fashion. But there is something charmingly extravagant (if not a little absurd) about the early days of tennis, when players once swatted around rackets in full-on fashionable garb. What a time.

Below, more photos from the fanciful fashion days of tennis.