The world of tennis is hardly immune to the statement-making powers of fashion. If it’s not Grand Slam champion Serena Williams clad in custom Off-White courtesy of her friend Virgil Abloh, it’s Naomi Osaka on the cover of Vogue Japan or lending her clout to Louis Vuitton as she assumes an ambassador position for the storied French brand.

But this summer, the script is being flipped, as it’s the turn of fashion to take its cues from the tennis sphere. Most notably, from the tennis skirt department. 

Indeed, according to Lyst, in the last month alone, page views for tennis skirts have tripled compared to this time last year, with Instagram’s data team confirming that searches for ‘tenniscore’ – a riff on cottagecore – have doubled in the last 45 days.

The purveyor of the tennis skirt 2.0 is Alo Yoga, an American-based sportswear apparel company, which has been championed by a slew of stars, most notably Kendall Jenner who, after posting to her 171 million followers, caused the brand’s zesty lime green tennis skirt is sell out worldwide.

While the fashion set’s love-in with the tennis skirt looks decidedly like a Wimbledon-Gossip Girl mash up, with TikTokers across the board pairing their flared minis with oversized vintage-inspired jumpers and big and baggy shirts, there are more muted ways to rock Centre Court chic. Pair yours with your favourite T-shirt and knee-high boots in the same vein as New York-based model Imani Randolph, or throw a blazer over the top of it for a more elevated feel.

The takeaway is clear: this summer, it’s all about having a love-in with the tennis skirt. Either whip yours out of retirement, or keep on scrolling for the best to buy now.  

Images: courtesy of brands.