The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
Take it to court
How Djokovic and Lacoste have revitalised tennis wear
The aquamarine waters, gilded casinos and general high-rise glamour of Monte Carlo don’t immediately conjure any sense of sportiness. The mood is languorous; bodies stretch out on loungers, super-yachts stalk the horizon and the most rapid-fire interactions revolve around credit-card terminals and the roulette table. That is until you wind a path to the Monte Carlo Country Club on the cliff tops above Roquebrune-cap-martin.
Here, Novak Djokovic bounds forth, lean and athletic in a slim-fit blazer and polo shirt, crackling with energy. The outfit, preppy but sports-centric, is no accident: Djokovic has partnered with Lacoste to launch a collection of clothes that bring the heritage and history of the brand – founded in 1933 by tennis champion René Lacoste – up to date with vivid designs, splashes of vibrant colour and a focus on technical fabrication, including ergonomic stitching and perforated sections for ventilation. The range encompasses functional tennis polo shirts and shorts, as well as
athleisure staples in the form of zip-up tops and sweatpants.
‘René Lacoste was a revolutionary in two senses: he changed the game of tennis and he changed fashion. That’s why I was so curious about the brand and what we could work on,’ says Djokovic. Where fresh whites tend to dominate, the new collection also focuses on a graphic grid design and block shades, the tones of which are meaningful for the Serbian, who now splits his time between his home country and Monaco (where he owns an organic juice bar). ‘My father would wear Lacoste polo shirts when I was a child. I remember his drawers had stacks and stacks of polo shirts, all in different colours, so it’s nice for me to be able to revisit my dad’s wardrobe and update it a little bit.’
Like Serena Williams insisting her shoes are laced a certain way, or Andre Agassi (who now coaches Djokov ic) playing commando, the tennis champion subscribes to the belief – perhaps superstition – that what one wears on court carries certain talismanic power. ‘Psychologically, the colour of what I wear is very important. I like the idea of camouflage, and always try and pick the colour that is closest to the shade of the court. It makes me feel compact, aligned and connected to the court and its surface,’ he says. ‘Tennis is a dynamic and fast sport: everything happens in the blink of an eye, so you need to feel like you’ re part of your surroundings. What I wear on court is important to me. It changes how I feel and the energy around me.’
It was René Lacoste’s innovations in design that meant traditional attire for tennis (Oxford bags, flat caps) was done away with. Long-sleeved shirts relaxed into the jersey-fabric polos we know today, with collars softened instead of starched. The crocodile emblem is a nod to his nickname after a bet that saw him winning a crocodile-skin bag. He also invented the lightweight metal tennis racket. It was t hat sense of dynamic experimentation that drew Djokovic to the brand – he has spoken about delving into new-age spirituality as a method of mentally preparing for games.
Djokovic’ sregi me, as one would expect, borders on the monastic – daily rituals of yoga, meditation, no gluten, no dairy. It’s his birthday today, but there’s no question of tucking into the champagne and trays of petits fours on offer. ‘I remember hearing something that Lacoste said and it stuck with me: “Playing and winning without style is not enough,”’ says Djovokic. ‘He was referring to fashion, but also to character and a respectful behaviour on court. That’s something I believe in.’ lacoste.com