Wilson · Tennis Equipment
RF 01 Pro Racket
Federer's frame, reissued. Heavy, precise, unforgiving in the best way.
$100–$250
Get It Here →The Tennis Boyfriend · /tennis-style-and-gear/
The Tennis Boyfriend: whites, cable knits and one serious racket
Tennis style is the most durable of the country-club aesthetics because it barely changed in seventy years: white, a collar, a cable-knit sweater with a stripe at the neck. It also crossed over into normal clothing more successfully than golf ever did.
On the equipment side there is one honest warning. The Wilson RF frames are heavy and precise and they punish a beginner. Buy them for someone who plays weekly and talks about string tension, not for someone starting out.
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The racket, if he can handle it
Small head, high mass, rewards a clean strike. Do not buy this for a beginner.
The training partner
Adjustable speed, spin, oscillation and elevation, battery powered. He will improve, which is more than most gifts can promise.
Lobster Sports · Tennis Equipment
Elite Three Ball Machine
A hitting partner who never cancels and never wants to talk.
$1,000+
Buy This for Him →
The look
The cable knit over the shoulders is the whole aesthetic in one garment.
Rackets and bags
Recreational frames for someone finding out whether he plays, and the bag for when he does.
Wilson · Tennis Equipment
Wilson Federer Adult Recreational Tennis Racket
A real racket at a beginner price. Enough to find out whether he plays twice or twenty times.
Under $100
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Wilson · Tennis Equipment
Wilson Tour Slam Adult Recreational Tennis Racket
Oversized head, forgiving. The racket for someone learning, not someone with a coach.
Under $100
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HEAD · Tennis Equipment
HEAD Tour Team 2-Racquet Tennis Backpack
Two rackets, a shoe compartment, padded straps. The bag that means he stops making two trips.
Under $100
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HEAD · Tennis Equipment
Head Tennis Full Size Racquet Coverbag
A cover so the strings survive a car boot in August.
Under $100
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Wilson · Tennis Equipment
Wilson US Open Tennis Balls
The official US Open ball. Cheap, and the one thing every player runs out of.
Under $100
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Fila · Tennis Equipment
Fila Men's Original Fitness Leather Sneaker
The 1980s court shoe, unchanged. Works on court and with jeans afterwards.
Under $100
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Wilson · Tennis Equipment
Wilson Perforated Pro Overgrip, 12-Pack
Twelve grips. He will use every one and never think to buy them himself.
Under $100
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HEAD · Tennis Equipment
HEAD Ti Conquest Tennis Racquet, Pre-Strung
Pre-strung and light. The racquet to buy before finding out whether he will actually play.
Under $100
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HEAD · Tennis Equipment
HEAD Ti S6 Tennis Racket
Oversized head, titanium frame, forgiving on off-centre hits. The best-selling racket of all time for a reason.
Under $100
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adidas · Tennis Equipment
adidas Gamecourt 2 Tennis Shoes
Court shoes have flat lateral support that runners do not. Wearing the wrong pair is how ankles go.
Under $100
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Wilson · Tennis Equipment
Wilson Advantage Tennis Bag
Holds rackets, balls and a change of shirt. Looks like equipment rather than a rucksack.
Under $100
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HEAD · Tennis Equipment
HEAD Xtreme Soft Overgrip
Six dollars, sixteen thousand ratings. A fresh grip changes how a racket feels.
Under $100
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Wilson · Tennis Equipment
Wilson Pro Overgrip, 3-Pack
The grip most of the tour uses, in a three-pack he will actually get through.
Under $100
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Selkirk · Tennis Equipment
Selkirk SLK Neo Pickleball Paddle Set of 2
Two paddles and balls, from a brand that actually makes pickleball equipment.
Under $100
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MAGCOMSEN · Tennis Equipment
MAGCOMSEN Quick-Dry Performance Polo
Fifteen dollars for the shirt, so the money goes on the racquet.
Under $100
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BALENNZ · Tennis Equipment
BALENNZ Athletic Shorts with Pockets
Pockets deep enough to hold a second ball, which is the whole requirement.
Under $100
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Tourna · Tennis Equipment
Tourna Sampras Vibration Dampener
Ten dollars to change the sound of the ball, which matters more than players admit.
Under $100
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WILLBOND · Tennis Equipment
WILLBOND Thick Cotton Wrist Sweatbands
Eight dollars to stop sweat reaching the grip, which is where matches are actually lost.
Under $100
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Tennis Style FAQ
What racket should I buy my boyfriend?
If he plays weekly and has real technique, a heavier player's frame like the Wilson RF 01 Pro. If he plays occasionally, buy a lighter, larger-headed racket instead — a pro frame in a casual player's hand causes injuries, not improvement.
Is a tennis ball machine worth it?
For anyone practising alone, it is the single most effective purchase available. It never cancels, it repeats the same ball a hundred times, and it fixes technique faster than a weekly hitting partner.
What is classic tennis style?
White shorts, a white polo, a cable-knit sweater with a coloured stripe at the V, and plain leather-look sneakers. Wimbledon still enforces most of it, which is why it never dates.