Tennis Stars Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer and Williams Sisters make it to Forbes’s Best Dressed List
Fashion seldom plays a major role in the world of sports. This is understandable, since sports like football or tennis are not traditionally seen as glamorous or attractive. However, as time goes on, there seems to be a breakthrough and the lines between fashion and practicality have become less distinct. More and more players have been cited as sources of fashion inspiration, and they routinely show up on best-dressed lists as well as on sponsorship contracts.
Take the example of tennis player World Number 1 Rafael Nadal. The Grand Slam champion recently signed a contract with Emporio Armani to become the new face of the company; he will be sponsoring jeans and underwear for the company. In the same vein, quarterback Brett Favre is currently sponsoring Wrangler Jeans. Some years ago, these decisions would have seemed out of place; now, when players make many of their career earnings through sponsorship money, they are highly commonplace. Sports players are slowly becoming icons of style.
This trend has become more obvious in the past few years, and Forbes’s 2010 Best Dressed Athlete List only proves it. The list comprised of names from tennis, basketball, football and many other sports, judged on the basis of their appearance and style innovations on and off the playing arena.
Tennis players on the list were former World Number 1 Maria Sharapova, current World Number 2 Roger Federer and Grand Slam sisters Serena and Venus Williams.
Maria Sharapova’s inclusion on this list certainly comes as no surprise. She was recently featured on the cover of Instyle Russia, and has proved to spectators multiple times that she can look classy both on and off court. She routinely steps out of her practical, no-mess tennis wear to emerge onto the public scene dressed like a model during her tournaments. Where accessories are concerned, Sharapova and her collaboration with Cole Haan for a shoes and handbags exhibition received several positive fashion reviews. The Russian pro, who stands tall at six foot two, was awarded the 2010 ACE Awards for her collaboration in New York City.
The next entry on the list is Swiss tennis pro Roger “the Maestro” Federer, who has always appealed to fans due to his gentlemanly style and quiet elegance. He has brought back trends like clean-cut polo shirts and conventional looks on the court; while this may have made any other player seem monotonous, it works for Federer. Off the court, he retains this sense of class with well-cut sweaters and crisp khakis. His friendship with Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief for Vogue, does not hurt his reputation as a fashion icon either. He is often photographed with Wintour, and she has made it a point to attend his matches to support him.
Lastly, tennis players Venus and Serena Williams were featured on the list together. The two sisters have been making waves in the world of tennis and fashion since they first began playing, in the old days when their most distinctive style statement was beaded braids. While their more racy outfits – such as Venus Williams’s revealing dress at the 2010 French Open – may cause fans to raise eyebrows, the fashion world seems to have embraced the sisters whole-heartedly. Serena Williams, for example, has been spotted with Anna Wintour at the 2010 Fashion Week. In addition to this, editor-at-large Andre de leon Tally has personally asked her to model.
Other sports stars on the list were football icon David Beckham, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, New York Rangers left-winger Sean Avery and goalkeeper Henrrik Lundqvist.
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