ACE: Sunita Kumar Nair Chronicles Tennis Fashion

Sunita Kumar Nair, former fashion editor and author, published *ACE: The Times & Style of Tennis* (Abrams) in summer. The volume surveys tennis apparel from early court attire to performance wear, linking design evolution to player identity.

Sports Illustrated

Nair signed the project roughly a year before the interview, spent about a year and a half researching, and accelerated the final edit after securing Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open dress from the January tournament to avoid obsolescence. The book printed for the summer season.

Sports Illustrated

The author worked with Nike, Adidas, and New Balance to access design archives and fabric data. Photographers Ari Marcopoulos and Robbie Lawrence contributed images; Lawrence’s match-day shot of Coco Gauff is the cover. Interviews include Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Coco Gauff; attempts to interview Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal failed.

Sports Illustrated

Nair recounts that some sports agents dismissed her as a “fashion girl” covering sportswear, reflecting a view that tennis apparel ranks below luxury fashion. She countered this bias with research depth comparable to high-end fashion publications.

Sports Illustrated

The mantra “If you feel good, you play good” captures the blend of aesthetics and performance. Nair notes rigorous testing of fabrics for durability and breathability, while designers pursue street-wear appeal. Adidas’s Trefoil line and New Balance’s Miu Miu collaboration illustrate this dual strategy.

Sports Illustrated

Nair says the book honors tennis’s stylistic heritage while revealing the technical rigor of modern sportswear. She describes brand collaborations as mutually beneficial, noting that Nike, Adidas, and New Balance welcomed her inquiry into future fashion directions.

Sports Illustrated

• “I even bought the dress myself because I was like that's true design where you see yourself in it, you want what a player is wearing, right?” — Sunita Kumar Nair, Author

Sports Illustrated

• “It was really interesting how all the brands had the same kind of mantra that if you feel good, you play good.” — Sunita Kumar Nair, Author

Sports Illustrated

• “Some of the sports agents are used to dealing with the same people and they were like, 'Oh god, it's this fashion girl thinks that she's going to cover sportswear' (laughs).” — Sunita Kumar Nair, Author

Sports Illustrated

The article confirms interviews with several players but notes the absence of direct commentary from Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. The precise release date is only described as “this summer,” leaving the exact timeline unspecified.

Sports Illustrated

Nair envisions more collaborations between fashion houses and tennis brands, citing a “space for a great collab” that could extend the dialogue beyond the court. She hopes future projects will secure interviews with previously unavailable athletes.

Sports Illustrated