When Leonardo Servadio founded Ellesse in 1959, he set out to seamlessly blend lifestyle fashion and Italian flair for activewear, something of a novelty at the time. By the 1970s, Ellesse became known on the ski slopes and on the tennis courts for its bold, yet effortless style that inspired a certain nonchalant confidence — sprezzatura, as Italians like to call it.
Colorful choices, tailored finesse, and fine details all punctuated by the dual Ellesse logos quickly became the hallmarks of court style. While the rules governing color at Wimbledon have changed throughout the years, Ellesse’s signature classic style has not.
Chris Evert, Boris Becker, Hana Mandlikova, and Guillermo Vilas all wore Ellesse during the biggest moments at the grandest of the grass court tournaments. And, this year, Ellesse returned to Centre Court, as Ryan Peniston faced off against fellow Brit Andy Murray.
Here’s a look back at the style and beauty of Ellesse at Wimbledon.
1981 Semis Chris Evert-Lloyd def. Pam Shriver 6-3, 6-1
1981 Final Chris Evert-Lloyd def. Hana Mandlikova 6-2, 6-2
1981 Guillermo Vilas didn’t have a great year on the court, but it was an outstanding year for style
1982 Johan Kriek made a run to the quarterfinals by lunging and diving (and falling) before Boris Becker came along
1983 Pat Cash makes his Wimbledon debut in Ellesse (and in color), reaching the fourth round
1985 Boris Becker becomes the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title, as well as the youngest ever male major singles champion
2015 Feliciano Lopez continues his streak of never missing a major
2019 British number one Johanna Konta makes a quarterfinal run
2023 Ryan Peniston banks a first-round victory to book a date on Centre Court against fellow Brit Andy Murray
2023 British wild card Arthur Fery takes on Daniil Medvedev on Centre Court
