Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner made a surprising fashion choice for his first round Wimbledon clash with Francisco Cerundolo. Wimbledon is famous for its strict all-white uniform requirements, with their official website stating that this doesn’t even include ‘off white or cream’.
Despite the strict rule book that regulates what players can wear or carry out onto the court, the 21-year-old stepped out onto Centre Court carrying a custom Gucci duffel bag.
‘Quite a statement indeed,’ Sinner, who is ranked No 8 in the world, told WWD ahead of his first round match. ‘First time a high-end luxury luggage piece has been brought on court. The perfect bag had to be big enough to hold all the things I need with me on court and easy to carry at the same time.’
It featured the signature GG monogram with a green and red web stripe with his initials marked against where the straps connect to the brown leather. Sinner’s bold fashion choice was the first time that a luxury bag has made an appearance on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
He added: ‘For sure this will create a conversation. Bringing sport and luxury fashion together in this way is something that’s never been done before and I feel extremely proud to be a part of it. I hope people will love it as much as I do.’
Sinner also said the bag was a ‘timeless classic’ and ‘values traditions’ at Wimbledon. Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios last year fell foul of the strict attire rules at Wimbledon after he we wore red Air Jordans and a baseball cap on Centre Court.
He carried his rackets meanwhile in a standard white Head bag. Sinner first became an ambassador for Gucci in July 2022 though he is the first player to show off their branding out on court at Wimbledon.
Gucci though said it worked with Sinner’s team for approvals from the International Tennis Federation, the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, to ensure that the bag met the necessary requirements.
Even players such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams, who also had close relationships with the Italian brand never did so. Gucci isn’t the only luxury house looking to align itself with young tennis stars with both Carlos Alcaraz and Naomi Osaka becoming ambassadors for Louis Vuitton.
Sinner’s bag could be set for a second appearance at Wimbledon after he cruised through his first round match with Cerundolo, 6-2 6-2 6-2, and will face another Argentine opponent in Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday.
