Tennis

Why tennis is the most stylish sport

A tall, Dior-clad tennis star, Caroline Wozniacki, graced the cover of The Post’s fashion supplement, Alexa, last Wednesday. The day before, Rafael Nadal hit a couple of balls in Bryant Park while wearing a suit by Tommy Hilfiger, a brand for which he was recently named global ambassador. And earlier in August, New York magazine dropped its fall fashion issue, featuring Serena Williams on the cover in a chic Elizabeth and James dress.

These superstar athletes — all of whom will compete in this year’s US Open tournament, which begins Monday — seem as natural in couture as they do in sweatbands. But why has tennis, above all other sports, become so synonymous with fashion? As it goes in the rarefied world of style, the story begins with the upper crust.

“Tennis became very much an aristocratic game played by the propertied, the patrician and the highborn,” author Barry Smart writes in “The Sport Star: Modern Sport and the Cultural Economy of Sporting Celebrity” (Sage, 2005).

Tennis developed over centuries in Europe, but gained traction in the 16th century when monarchs like Francis I of France and England’s Henry VIII gave the sport, in its medieval form termed “real tennis,” the royal stamp of approval. Cut to the 19th century, when “lawn tennis,” a k a the game we play today, had acquired a codified set of rules, a scoring system and a wealthy, fashion-conscious fan base.

By the 1920s, greats such as Suzanne Lenglen and René Lacoste weren’t only winning matches, they were inspiring women and men to imitate their sporty aesthetic. (Lacoste famously introduced the piqué polo shirt in 1926 — and later launched the first celeb clothing line.) Old Hollywood stars like Joan Crawford and Ginger Rogers helped glamorize the game, which, well into the 21st century, continues to be dominated by the dashing, fit and uncommonly photogenic (hello, Grigor Dimitrov).

This legacy of elite associations has led to a preponderance of fashionable spectators. Kate Middleton is a Wimbledon regular, as are David and Victoria Beckham. Michael Kors, Heidi Klum and catwalk staple Karlie Kloss filled seats at last year’s Open. And no one would be surprised to spot Vogue’s Anna Wintour, a Roger Federer enthusiast, rocking Chanel and her beloved Manolos in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Vogue’s Anna Wintour stands in her seat at the 2014 U.S. Open.Anthony Causi