Tennis merch is playing it safe – that's why there are no winners.

Tennis is back – the courts are full, and small brands as well as global players are launching new collections. There's been more tennis output than in a long time.

And yet, one feeling remains: the real highlights are missing, the iconic pieces you want to wear on and off court. The products that turn functional clothing into a true tennis outfit, or the T-shirt that gives you subtle recognition from other tennis players with a small nod in everyday life.

Currently, much is moving in two clear directions. On one side, the "Sporty & Rich" cosmos: with lots of white and muted colors, often the classic cream-green combination with text in serif fonts. A touch of nostalgia, combined with the aesthetic of a country club. The imaginary club name, of course, must not be missing from any design. A stylish look, perfect for lifestyle photos on Instagram and Pinterest. An aesthetic concept that works and, precisely because of that, unfortunately too often quotes itself.

On the other side are the big performance brands like Nike or ON. Here it's all about innovation, movement, and function. Technical materials, clean lines, often accented by neon colors. Products that impress on the court. But what works there doesn't always make its way into everyday life. Yet, this connection used to be part of the fascination. The fits of Agassi, Björn Borg, and co. were also relevant in lifestyle – tennis sneakers and tennis T-shirts were part of pop culture.

And then you're already reminiscing. No wonder vintage tennis merch is currently experiencing a real boom. In secondhand and vintage stores, old pieces sometimes sell for significantly more than their original price. Colorful tennis graphic tees, 90s US Open merch, Sergio Tacchini tracksuits, or anything from the Agassi era – much of it sells immediately. Advantage Vintage! The safety-first approach is also evident in current tennis tournament merch. With a bit of luck, you can find unique pieces at Grand Slams, especially when large licensees like Ralph Lauren or New Balance are involved. Most of it, however, remains familiar: lots of logos, proven templates, and very basic fits.

But why does vintage merch seem so special, while new items often look similar? One explanation is that designers and artists used to tackle themes independently and drew on their own, often analog sources of inspiration. The result was a wide variety of concepts with a clear signature. Today, there is often a reliance on a common pool of digitally available content. Social media algorithms also reward familiar aesthetics that have already been confirmed by the masses. These are then increasingly promoted, quickly giving the impression that they are the only functioning concepts. What performs well is reproduced. And with the possibilities of AI, it is easier than ever to create and vary such visual worlds. The result: more output, but often less variation – and even less surprise.

Media outlets like Racquet Magazine provocatively ask the question – where has all the good merch gone Where Has All the Good Merch Gone? - Racquet – and contribute to reigniting the discourse. The popularity of accounts like Vintage Court Collection shows that there is still a great interest in extraordinary retro styles. The tennis world offers so much inspiration, and it's exciting to see how brands, creators, and platforms want to fill the creative vacuum and bring more variety between performance wear and country club aesthetics.

In our own creations, we also embrace the challenge by playing with design, culture, and references. We found a lot of inspiration, especially in vintage Grand Slam merch and the tennis style of the 70s. For example, in our officially licensed cartoon crossovers, Peppa Pig, typically British, appears in white tennis dresses or with strawberries and cream at the grass court. Die Maus does the "T-Shirt Grand Slam" with motifs suitable for the 4 major tournaments, and Snoopy addresses the mental side of the sport, with its emotional highs and lows. In our Tennis Selection, in addition to our own creations, we want to put together a diverse selection of products and offer tennis lovers an additional point of contact for exciting tennis merch. Here we also present products from other brands, starting with T-shirts from Ace To The Moon, a tennis brand from New York. The assortment is complemented by selected highlights such as posters from Hands of Gods, various coffee table books, or the mega cute tennis plush Snoopy from Bon Ton Toys.

Have fun browsing, hopefully with more winners than unforced errors.