Lacoste Novak Djokovic On Court Polo

Redcurrant Bush

When it comes to true tennis heritage, few brands can match Lacoste. Founded by multi-Slam champion Rene Lacoste in 1933 – only a year after his retirement from the game – “Le Croc” has been a favourite of pro players for almost a century.

It’s easy to see why: the combination of classic French style and functional knowhow provided by Lacoste is impossible to resist.

Clothing has been at the centre of their business since the beginning. Before the business was a business, even. As a player in the early 1920s, having become known as “The Crocodile” following an unusual bet involving a croc-skin suitcase, Rene reinforced the nickname by asking his stylist to sew a likeness of the animal onto his matchday jackets.

He continued to challenge convention, soon creating a lightweight, comfortable polo shirt that, you could say, began the trend towards the modern, performance-focused apparel that we see today. A stark contrast to the restrictive traditional shirts of the time, it was an instant must-have for players. Next, he partnered with French knitwear manufacturer Andre Gillier to officially found the company, and Lacoste became the first brand to place a logo on its clothing. And this was all the way back in the 1920s and 30s – Rene Lacoste was a true visionary.

Now, a hundred years on, his world-renowned brand produces a huge range of tennis apparel, from the iconic polos that first shook up the game to colourful t-shirts, jackets, and shorts made with typical Lacoste attention to detail.

Novak Djokovic, born in Serbia in 1987, is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Known for his intense physicality, flexibility, and exceptional return game, Djokovic has dominated men's tennis since the late 2000s. He has achieved multiple Grand Slam victories, and in 2016, became the third man in history to hold all four major titles at once, a testament to his consistent excellence. His extraordinary defensive abilities, combined with his precise and powerful groundstrokes, have earned him a distinguished place among the "Big Four" of men's tennis.