How Jannik Sinner's Gucci duffle bag made history at Wimbledon

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“Quite a statement indeed,” said Jannik Sinner ahead of his opening matches at Wimbledon. But the Italian wasn’t talking about his grass-court performance, or about reaching the third round without dropping a set. He was referring to his choice of on-court accessory: a custom-designed Gucci duffle bag.

At a tournament synonymous with its all-white dress code, the No. 8 seed made a bit of All England Club history before he ever walked out onto Centre Court on Monday:

“For sure this will create a conversation…” Sinner, a Gucci ambassador, told Women’s Wear Daily. “First time a high-end luxury luggage piece has been brought on court [at Wimbledon].”

In both of his matches at SW19, Sinner has brought out his usual Head tennis bag and paired it with the oversized duffle bag from Gucci. The one-of-a-kind piece is adorned with Gucci’s signature motifs, including the “GG” monogram and a pair of green and red Web stripes for straps.

Custom-made for Sinner and designed to hold all of his on-and-off-court necessities, the duffle bag also features his initials “J.S.” and his personal logo.

“Bringing sport and luxury fashion together in this way is something that’s never been done before and I feel extremely proud to be a part of it,” Sinner said. “I hope people will love it as much as I do.”

The All England Club’s famous dress code is clear about requiring players to be “dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white,” and it even specifies that “white does not include off-white or cream.” Those strict rules extend to equipment too, including medical supports.

But while Wimbledon has its own traditions, so too does the House of Gucci. In order to bring the brand’s signature style onto Centre Court, the brand worked with the Italian’s team to secure “approvals from the ITF (International Tennis Federation), ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, to ensure the bag met the necessary requirements.”

With the go-ahead given, Sinner has cruised through his matches at Wimbledon, with his trusty Gucci bag at his side. Even his opponents are admiring the look, with Diego Schwartzman tagging Gucci in his Instagram comment to Sinner: “We have the match tomorrow so I also need one!”

After starting the tournament with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Sinner booked his place in the third round with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Schwartzman. The No. 8 seed will face Quentin Halys at Wimbledon on Friday.