Style suites, tunnel walks, luxury collabs: Inside the ATP’s new fashion strategy

NEW YORK — Fashion has been one of the biggest storylines at the US Open, part of the sport’s broader cultural moment that has spilled far beyond the court.

Venus Williams’ outfits—one for every match she’s played in New York—have been chronicled by Baseline and dissected in detail by WWD. Naomi Osaka’s collection of bedazzled Labubu figurines has gone viral on social media, with each custom character—from “Billie Jean Bling” to “Arthur Flash”—matching her own appearances in New York.

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Men’s tennis wants in on the conversation too. According to Vogue Business, the ATP Tour is building out a dedicated fashion marketing strategy.

“There’s a clear intersection in interests between tennis and fashion for our fans,” Andrew Walker, ATP Tour SVP of marketing, told Vogue’s Jessica Schiffer. “We see this as an opportunity to bring fans who might be following the sport more casually deeper into the fold.”

To back it up, the ATP is reportedly quadrupling its budget for fashion-focused initiatives, funding stylists, photography, videography, influencer partnerships and content across media platforms.

👉 Read More: US Open Fashion Watch: Venus, Djokovic and Osaka lead the style charge in New York

Proof of concept came right before the US Open—tennis’s Super Bowl for brand partnerships—where the ATP set up a style suite and stylist Mobolaji Dawodu, formerly of GQStyle, dressed players in brands like Ferragamo and Ralph Lauren. Frances Tiafoe, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune were among those styled for sponsor events, pre-tournament outings and a Vogue Business photoshoot.

“It’s something I’ve liked since I was maybe 16, 17, when they asked me to do my first photoshoot ever,” Rublev said after his second-round win at the US Open. “I was a bit (nervous), like, 'What am I doing here? What is this?' I was in kind of not comfortable positions… Later on, when I start to get older and do other photoshoots, I start to do better and feel more confident.

“I just like it. It’s something outside of tennis… that I felt good with, and I’m enjoying this process while it’s happening.”

The ATP has also been tapping influential social media accounts to review outfits during the tournament, creating crossover content at the exact moment when the tennis and fashion worlds are converging. With New York Fashion Week up next on the social calendar, the timing couldn’t be better. Vogue’s longtime former editor Anna Wintour—one of tennis’s most visible fashion fans—has been courtside in Flushing Meadows almost daily.

The goal is to help men’s tennis cultivate its own cultural icons, much like the NFL has with Odell Beckham Jr., the NBA with LeBron James, or Formula 1 with Lewis Hamilton.

The plan, expected to ramp up in 2026, centers on three strategies:

• More style suites and pre-tournament photoshoots around major events like Masters 1000s, Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.
• A reimagined “tunnel walk” and “arrival style” moment, mirroring team sports where stars are photographed in their sharpest looks before suiting up.
• Expanded brand partnerships, especially in the luxury space, inspired by NBA’s multi-year partnership with Louis Vuitton or LVMH’s decade-long Formula 1 deal.

The initiative comes as tennis looks to market its biggest personalities, stay embedded in pop culture and connect with new fans and commercial categories.

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Many of those fans have arrived recently, drawn in by Zendaya’s 2024 tennis film Challengers or the viral buzz around back-to-back finals between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Fashion is proving to be one of the strongest entry points. Both Alcaraz and Sinner wear Nike on court but show different sides off it — Alcaraz as a Louis Vuitton ambassador and Sinner as a Gucci ambassador.

👉 Read More: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner go high fashion in new Louis Vuitton and Gucci campaigns

“Many players have a genuine interest in fashion, and they understand that fashion can be an incredibly powerful vehicle to grow and enhance their [personal] brands as they think about their off-court businesses and attracting more sponsors and fans…” Walker told Vogue. “Our athlete marketing division is specifically set up to support our athletes, so this was a natural way to do that.”

The ATP now hopes to extend these opportunities further down the rankings, giving more players exposure to new audiences.

“Tennis is very traditional, but style lets me show a different side of my personality and connect with people who might not even watch tennis,” said Cobolli.