Jannik Sinner is the man to beat

Nationality: Italian
Age: 23
Ranking: 01
Height: 1.92m

CENTRE COURT at Wimbledon has long served as a stage for players keen to push the sport’s sartorial boundaries. As such, it feels fitting that one of the biggest fashion developments in men’s tennis in recent years took place within the notoriously traditional confines of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club: in 2023, Italian world No.1 Jannik Sinner arrived on court for his first-round match carrying not just the customary white racquet case but a tricolour Gucci duffle.

As a fashion statement, it was at once radical yet genius in its simplicity. Sat by Sinner’s chair on the hallowed turf of Centre Court, the bag represented a bold challenge to tradition (Sinner had to get special dispensation from club officials to bring it out). It also signalled a shift in sartorial norms not just at Wimbledon but in a sport that has, for some years now, been growing increasingly friendly with the world of luxury fashion.

There is an understated elegance to Sinner that, despite the fluidity with which he swings a racquet, becomes particularly apparent when you take his 6’4” frame out of tennis clothes. Shed of his playing gear and dressed, as has become standard since he became a Gucci ambassador, in one of the house’s ensembles, it quickly becomes clear why, in 2022, the Italian house took a chance on the fresh-faced boy from San Candido before he’d even won a Slam title.

Of the presumptive heirs to tennis’ fabled Big Three, as the top- ranked man in the world – and having had a phenomenal 2024 – Sinner is best placed to shape the new landscape according to his will. “Solid and aggressive” is how he described his playing style in his recent Esquire cover story. His game is steeped in maturity, not defined by ego, and nor is he too proud to adjust his approach to meet the demands of different competitors. “I am more of the belief that you are either winning or learning,” he told us. Above all, he plays with an unshakeable calm – never flustered, always analysing.

The composed manner with which Sinner, 23, carries himself transcends the court. When he became a Gucci ambassador, he admitted to going into the partnership with almost no knowledge of fashion. Yet, in Sinner, the brand – and tennis – may have found the poster boy it needs in an era when, not unlike how it is in the NBA and Formula 1, every pre-contest arrival is a chance to make a style statement. There’s no doubt Sinner has the natural gifts to take up that mantle. His shock of red hair, fair complexion and piercing eyes – a calling card of his northern Italian roots – mark him out as a unique addition to sport’s growing roster of could-be models.

Sinner, of course, isn’t the only player on tour to have inked a deal with a luxury fashion house. Nor is his Wimbledon duffle bag moment likely to be the last of its kind. Regardless, Gucci feels ideally positioned to lead the sport into a new era, and with Sinner at the helm, the opportunities seem endless.

In the meantime, the Australian Open’s Rod Laver Arena – where just a year ago, Sinner won his first Slam – again looms large. The Italian returns to Melbourne as indisputably the player to beat. He is also a man hardened by a year of scrutiny, injury and controversy. For better or worse, one senses that 2025 will be a pivotal year in shaping his legacy. For now, though, his eyes are fixed firmly on the prize. Good luck getting in his way.