The rise of “tenniscore” in recent years has made way for preppy pleated skirts, Wimbledon-ready separates and tennis bracelets aplenty. And with the release of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, the trend is back with sweat-soaked vengeance (if you know, you know).
On the jewellery front, tennis bracelets and necklaces have seen a spike in searches since Challengers came out, thanks to the shimmering versions Law Roach has pulled for Zendaya’s method dressing tour wardrobe (custom Loewe tennis ball shoes, a bespoke, racket-adorned Thom Browne dress and spectator-worthy vintage Vivienne Westwood have also featured).
The actor wears a candy-hued beaded bracelet and a Cartier Love bangle as her character Tashi Duncan, but off-court (aka, on the red carpet and at photo calls), Roach has elevated her looks with Bulgari’s Serpenti Viper bracelet – which, with its snaking composition, offers a contemporary take on the tennis bracelet design – in line with the sporty theme of the film.
While Z and Challengers have been catalysts for the tennis bracelet’s return, this fine jewellery piece has been a wardrobe icon for decades. Once known as an eternity bracelet, the design traditionally consists of a band of linked pavé stones – though, modern versions are adorned with crystals, cubic zirconia and colourful gems. As for the origins of the “tennis” prefix? Multi-title champion Chris Evert, who often accessorised her tennis kit with diamond jewellery throughout her career, inspired the name. In 1987, at the US Open, she even lost her diamond “tennis” bracelet, and requested to pause the tournament until it was found.
As its storied history lives on, scroll on for the best tennis bracelets available now.