The Best Women’s Tennis Clothes, According to Stylish Pros and Players

Writer and lifelong tennis player Mel Kenny (who is also the founder of Tiny Gentle Asians) says her current favorite tennis dress is a ’00s Juicy Couture style sourced from Depop worn with Nike undershorts. But if you’re not up for trawling resale sites, she also likes this one from Copenhagen brand Palmes Tennis Society. The brand’s designs make tongue-in-cheek reference to tennis’s preppy heritage without being too costume-y — as Racquet magazine CEO Caitlin Thompson puts it, “They just look very cool and very modern.” And this dress has thoughtfully placed underarm ventilation panels, which the vintage Juicy Couture definitely lacks.

Outdoor Voices’ sporty dresses “are a staple” for Paskal, due to their functional cuts. When surveying the fashions at Wollman Rink, Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo found the brand’s dresses to be incredibly popular among pickleball-playing New Yorkers, too. They’re also a favorite of Strategist editor Maxine Builder, who likes that they’re sweat-wicking and comfortable yet happy-hour-ready. This Volley style is especially tennis-friendly, with two prominent pockets on the sides of its built-in shorts, as well as cross-back strapping for extra bust support. (Tennis-obsessed Strategist contributing editor Jessica Silvester owns it in three colors.)

For everyday tennis practice, the players I spoke with generally preferred to wear just undershorts, only layering them underneath skirts and dresses in more formal match settings. “I like to feel less constricted in my movements, and most skirts are very flowy,” says Simunyola, with too much fabric for her taste. Both she and Kenny like Nike’s tried-and-true Pro shorts. “The fabric does that amazing ‘holding you in’ thing that makes everything look tighter and less jiggly than it in fact is,” says Kenny.

With a sculpting high waist, Donnelley says Michi’s undershorts are universally flattering: “Every time I step on the court I have women asking where I got them from.” Designed by tennis players, the shorts are also “really well made,” with stretchy fabric that provides great compression. They’re also surprisingly breathable: “You can be sweating on the court and not feel like you have to go change or anything.”

Running shorts are another practical option — although these Nike ones don’t have pockets, their built-in undershorts “hold balls really well” according to Veskovac, who owns them in multiple colors. That silky spandex also helps prevent chafing.

As with J. Lindeberg, Thompson wears Jupp’s pieces often because they’re so “chic and nondescript — I like the wild patterned stuff too, but these are classic and refined clothes that are really well made.” Fully pleated and pleasingly swishy, this skirt features built-in undershorts and sits high on the waist to cinch you in.

For a slightly less swishy yet similarly classic-looking white skirt, Paskal turns to TikTok-beloved brand Alo, which has also been recommended to us by Euphoria actress Chloe Cherry. Paskal pairs hers with a vintage white tennis tee sourced from eBay or Etsy, sometimes throwing on a vintage college sweater over the top for an even preppier (but not trying-too-hard) look.

Kenny agrees that “pits out is the move,” and recommends Hanes’ affordable tank tops for early-morning practice sessions. “I usually play at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. before work, so in my sleepy stupor I’ll reach for the simplest of things,” she says. While not specifically designed for tennis, they are “formfitting but not suffocating,” which makes them ideal for on-court workouts. Strategist writers Arielle Aviva and Dominique Pariso love Hanes tanks for everyday wear, too, as does model Paloma Elsesser and musician Gracie Abrams.

This high-necked tank from one of Thompson’s favorite brands, J. Lindeberg, is a little more special, and matches the shorts recommended above. It’s pretty but also high-performance, with racerback straps and substantial mesh ventilation panels.

While it’s often easier to swing a racquet in a tank top, long-sleeved tees are more ideal for sun protection. Florida-based Donnelley says that Venus Williams’s brand EleVen designs its tennis layers with this in mind. “Even though they’re long-sleeved, I’m not dying with them in the heat,” she says. “They’re light but not weighing me down.” Tested out by Williams herself, these lightweight layers are made from sweat-wicking UPF 50 knit fabric and are available in a far greater size range than most tennis brands offer. “They’ve become necessities for me as a way to protect my skin but still be able to play,” Donnelley says.

If you’re okay with laundering white tennis clothes regularly, this Jupp zip-down is Thompson’s favorite, matching the brand’s skirt above. Because the fabric is on the heavier side, and the style isn’t sleeveless, she admits that it’s better for wearing in the spring and fall as opposed to peak summer. But the zip should give you some control over your core temperature.

Simunyola says that sports-store staple Wilson “has had a really great design comeback lately” in terms of both its racquets and apparel. This neat polo looks timeless, is woven from quick-drying yarn in a loose and breathable knit pattern, and also happens to be much easier to launder than a white top.

The V-neck knit sweater has been a tennis-court staple since forever. “If you’re around tennis, you see it come into fashion year in, year out,” says Thompson. She’s a fan of this updated FILA one in particular because “it’s short-sleeved and cropped, so it looks great on most women.” Plus, given the current sweater-vest trend, it’s versatile enough that she “can wear it to warm up, on court, and off court.”

A compressive bra is essential when you’re reaching for that on-the-run forehand, and Donnelley likes this Lululemon style with weave straps, saying it’s great for women with larger breast sizes who are playing high-impact sports: “It’s another one of my go-tos.” We’re longtime fans of the brand’s bras too, especially as they’re made from high-quality sweat-wicking fabric.

Popularized by Roger Federer, Nike Vapors are the shoes to wear on court, Simunyola says. (The players I spoke with for the men’s version of this guide said much the same.) She advises keeping seasonality in mind when you’re making your color choice: “I used to have a pair of black-and-red Nike Air Zoom Vapor Pros, and they were probably one of my favorite pairs of shoes aesthetically — but the black on the shoe would make my feet burn in the summer.” Although they’re difficult to keep clean, she now has some all-white Air Zoom Vapors as her “good pair” of shoes: “White goes with everything, but they do get dirty fast.”

Simunyola says that Under Armour’s socks are made from a thinner and more breathable fabric than other brands “and don’t slip at all.” They also sit at a nice midway point on the ankle, rather than bunching at the calf. She again recommends buying them in white so that your feet don’t get too hot in summer. (Don’t be afraid to switch out your sweaty socks between sets, either, as a couple of players suggested doing.)

“Let it be known that no one needs designer socks to play tennis,” says Kenny. “But I did get these in both colorways when they went on sale, for both tennis and general gallivanting.”

When going hatless, Simunyola does “really like wearing headbands.” She’s obsessed with Nike’s versions, in particular, for the way that timeless swoosh can instantly elevate your style: “Sometimes they can pull a look together, or simply keep my hair from getting messed up after a match.”

The general consensus among players I spoke with was that most tennis bags are ugly and impractical for city life. “Brands make really dorky backpacks or giant bags for 12 racquets that pros use, but there’s nothing good for everyone else,” says Thompson. She likes to haul her gear in tote bags instead, specifically this one that references former pro player (and art fan) Reilly Opelka, who was fined $10,000 for displaying its logo at the 2021 U.S. Open. “It’s a fun tennis in-joke,” she explains.