The Antiques Lover’s Guide to Tennis Collectibles

Long before high-powered sponsorships, tennis gear offered style inspiration. What began as simple culottes and long skorts in the early 1900s transformed in the 1960s and ’70s into the now-iconic pleated skirts and dresses. Designers like Lacoste and Ted Tinling brought bolder styles to on-the-court fashion, while strict tournament dress codes (like Wimbledon’s almost-all- white requirement) held tennis fashion to a sophisticated standard. Vinyl racket bags with a varsity stripe gained popularity in the 1970s.

What it’s Worth: Find most midcentury outfits for $50–$100, or hunt for retro dress patterns by McCall’s or Simplicity.

Ten years after 1920s French tennis champion René Lacoste (on right) was dubbed "The Alligator" by an American journalist, he launched his very own brand of apparel. The first item? A classic white knit polo with a simple crocodile logo. The Lacoste brand went international in the 1950s and has since become a worldwide symbol of elegance both on and off the court.

RULE BOOKS There’s no shortage of publications packed with tips and tricks claiming to boost your game. Look for advice from bona fide experts and famous players like Arthur Ashe (center), or opt for a more lighthearted approach from cultural icons like Mr. Peanut.

What it’s Worth: Most books can be found for under $50, unless they are autographed, which, depending on the signer, can boost the price up to as much as $120. Older finds from respected sources (think brands like Slazenger or Wright & Ditson) can go for more than $120.

TROPHIES Look beyond the prestigious gilded prizes handed out at major tournaments (they would take up way too much shelf space, anyway), and hunt for vintage awards from smaller local leagues and school competitions. Older trophies from the 1920s are often silver-plated. Midcentury awards utilized a wider variety of materials (think wood, Bakelite, and stone) and often feature spirited toppers depicting players in action.

What it’s Worth: Most small figurual trophies sell for under $20, especially silver-plated examples. Older trophies from the 1890s to 1920s made in sterling silver and embellished with marble, glass, or Bakelite are very desirable and can sell for more than $1,000.

In 1965, Adidas launched the “Haillet” sneaker, named after and worn by French champion Robert Haillet. When Haillet retired from the sport, the company turned to Stan Smith (pictured), an up-and-coming American, to become the face of the same shoe in 1971. As Smith’s tennis career took off and the sneaker gained popularity on the court, Adidas officially renamed it the “Stan Smith” in 1978 and added the trademark miniature portrait of Smith to the shoe’s green tongue. Despite technological advances that have since made them obsolete for competition, Stan Smith sneakers remain a mainstream fashion favorite (more than 50 million pairs have been sold since its launch) worn by athletes, celebrities, and teenagers alike.

No tennis match would be complete without a courtside cocktail (spectators at the U.S. Open sip on the Honey Deuce, a vodka-lemonade). Stock your bar with colorful 1970s ice buckets and glassware by tennis giants like Wilson. Racket and ball motifs also popped up on midcentury glassware sets by well-known makers such as Georges Briard, Libbey, and Culver, pointing to the sport’s popularity beyond the court.

What it's Worth: Expect to pay around $10 per piece for glasses and $35–$50 for ice buckets.

Start your hunt at birdavenuevintage.etsy.com.

While the diamond line bracelet style has been around since the 1920s, it reached a new level of popularity in the 1970s and ’80s, when tennis champion—and style icon herself—Chris Evert (pictured) wore one during competition. When her bracelet flew off her wrist mid-match at the 1987 U.S. Open, the incident prompted a court-wide search and solidified the jewelry’s iconic status.