Why Jannik Sinner's Gucci Bag Is a Big Deal
Jannik Sinner, the ginger-haired Italian tennis maestro, has become a bit of an It Boy in the world of opulent on-court accessories since he became the first player in Wimbledon history to carry a non-white bag onto centre court back in July.
The 22-year-old, who is currently ranked number six in the world, rolled into SW1 ahead of his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final against Novak Djokovic with a custom take on Gucci's epochal $1,550 duffle bag.
This saw Sinner become the first player to arrive on court with a non-white tennis bag in the tournament’s 146-year history, which is a big deal.
Alas, Sinner and Gucci, which is also one of his sponsors, are once again leaning into the world of tennis for this year’s US Open, that's after the Italian arrived ahead his first-round win against Yannick Hanfmann on August 29 carrying yet another custom GG number, albeit one more skewed from tradition.
Where Sinner’s Wimbledon bag carried all the hallmarks of a classic Gucci duffle — beige and ebony monogram, leather detailing with Gucci script logo — his US Open iteration was cast with a more unfamiliar blue and yellow in place of the traditional green and red, with his initials embroidered into the leather.
While Sinner carrying a luxury bag might onto a tennis court might appear inconsequential, in tennis terms it's anything but. The Wimbledon duffle, for example, required special approval from Wimbledon officials, the International Tennis Federation, and the ATP Tour to be used.
Though high-end labels have been intertwined within the sport for as long as I can remember (mainly Rolex), brands being used by the players on-court is virtually non-existent.
But hey, it’s all in the name of fashion, right? And, if anything, tennis was in dire need of a sprinkling of splendor across both its apparel and accessories. And now finally, thanks to Sinner (and Carlos Alcaraz, of course), the sport is most definitely serving. Pun intended.
