Roger Federer. Wimbledon, 2009. The then-longest men’s Grand Slam final in history; a five-set, 77-game thriller against Andy Roddick. But of greater importance? His jacket.
An RF monogrammed zipper with gold trim, the jacket sported the number 15, the record total of Grand Slam titles Federer had won following his victory in the match, in embroidered cursive.
Was it presumptuous? Had Fed smuggled it out of his bag in quiet hope? Or was it given to you by a Nike representative before the trophy was handed over? Whatever it is, the jacket generated a lot of spine centimeters, just like Federer’s outfit during that year’s tournament. Take, for example, suit pants paired with a military-inspired jacket, a sort of Sergeant Pepper from the All England Club, under which he wore a tailored vest, only stripping down to shorts after warm-up. Then there were the subtly striped shirts, or even the gold-accented sneakers. This was the kind of aesthetic panache that Federer was becoming known for.
Roger Federer in his embroidered jacket at Wimbledon in 2009. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Now, with news of her retirement last week, following Serena Williams’ announcement in August, tennis (and sport in general) has lost one of its most stylish protagonists. Federer has had quite a dressing room journey. From a list of dodgy hairstyles (home peroxide dye, weird bun, greasy ponytail, and backwards suit pants) to US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s best friend, Federer is a wizard. Frequent ringside, Rolex ambassador and designer Oh, and according to LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, a “living god.”
It’s an unfortunate cliché with stylish men, but Federer credits his wife, Mirka, with his initial fashion awakening, once telling GQ: “I used to wear sneakers, jeans and a practice shirt, then when Mirka met me, she would look at me and be like, ‘Errr, are you sure about this look?’
“So, I really started to get involved. She traveled more and went to different cities and met interesting people. The next thing you know, you look around you, maybe in Milan, in New York, wherever, and you realize that everyone is putting in a lot of effort.”
One of Federer’s first hairstyles. Photograph: Kathy Willens/AP
Since then, Federer’s elegant and sophisticated style off the court has been matched by his gentlemanly one-handed backhand and ballet volleys. Off the court, he loves turtlenecks; an elegant, well-cut wool coat with a worn collar; sweater over his shoulders; cross suits. But he’s also not afraid to mix it up with bomber, denim and leather jackets, gingham button-down shirts and colorful sneakers.
He has a hands-on design involvement with Uniqlo, with whom he signed a 10-year, $300 million deal in 2018, ending his long-standing partnership with Nike. Federer approached the Japanese brand, famous for its comfortable and cozy basics, and works closely with designer Christophe Lemaire, creative director of Uniqlo’s research and development center in Paris; and he has certain edicts (no yellow). Comfort is his number one priority, closely followed by style.
The Roger Advantage shoe. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
On the other hand, Federer has a shoe deal with the Swiss brand On, with its quite fun line, at least for the British public, called The Roger Collection. His signature shoe, The Roger Pro, which began life with a 3D scan of his own foot, sold out when it launched last year. Meanwhile, the Roger Advantage model has Stan Smith levels of underestimation.
He has become an astute analyst of his personal style past and of his sport in general. He acknowledges, for example, the bygone days of the looser fit, and now actively embraces a sleeker silhouette on the court, telling GQ: “Was I crazy about wearing XL at 17? You want to think you’re big and muscular. Now [players] look stronger and slimmer.”
Federer with Anna Wintour and the late André Leon Talley, far left, at an Oscar de la Renta show in 2017. Photograph: Gregory Pace/EIB/Shutterstock
He (perhaps cheekily, but quite accurately) used Rafa Nadal’s ill-fated capri-wearing era as an example of how important image is to the modern sports star. But Federer refuses to be harsh on his younger self about the ponytail era: “It was all part of an evolutionary process. Do I regret having long hair? No, I’m glad I had it and I’m happy I got rid of it again!”
He’s proud of his innovative approach, including his eye-catching all-black outfits at the US Open, which gave the feel of a racquet-wielding assassin during late-night sessions. Of his time at Nike – with which he fought for more than two years for the return of the rights to the RF monogram – he told GQ magazine:
“We try to go further, sometimes too much. But it was fine. These moments remain memorable and he was willing to take risks. I’ve tried to bring a bit of style to tennis.”
Sometimes it went too far. At least, according to Wimbledon officials who banned her orange-soled shoes in 2013, calling them a breach of the strict white dress policy. But, he has never been reproached, as such, in the way that, say, Williams was (most memorably when the president of the French Tennis Federation seemed to call his Roland Garros catsuit disrespectful). Federer has never been accused of caring more about style than substance, perhaps reflecting enduring double standards.
Federer in Geneva in 2019. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images for The Laver Cup
Although Federer, along with Williams on the women’s side of the sport, has done more than anyone else to advance the aesthetics of modern tennis and draw athletes into the world of fashion, he is not, strictly speaking, the first.
Federer has alluded to the fact that his preppy V-neck cardigans he wore on center court were a throwback to tennis champions René Lacoste and Fred Perry (who founded their namesake brands in 1933 and 1952 respectively). Suzanne Lenglen, the charismatic female world number one in the 1920s, had a propensity for walking onto the court in glamorous fur. Arthur Ashe played with Buddy Holly glasses and, when he changed fashion, aviators. And Andre Agassi could be said to have cultivated a dubious type of “pirate girl.” But, especially in the men’s game, Federer’s influence on his younger colleagues and the wider sphere of tennis is undeniable.
Bulgarian gamer and Vogue favorite Grigor Dimitrov dabbles in modelling. Red-haired young gunslinger Jannik Sinner has graced the covers of GQ and Icon magazines, and earlier this year he announced a partnership with Gucci. Chiseled Italian Matteo Berrettini has a capsule collection with Hugo Boss. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime looked particularly elegant at last year’s Met Gala in New York. Even Andy Murray has a range of sportswear, AMC.
It is not impossible that Federer will pursue fashion full-time after his retirement. First, he plays his last tournament in London this weekend. Last month, Williams wore a diamond-encrusted cape to bid farewell to the US Open. The bar is high. So all eyes were on Federer, and on his jacket.
Source: www.theguardian.com