Yes, I'm judging your tennis bag
What your tennis bag says about you
It’s the end of April—or as the Spanish say “Abril.”
Just kidding, I wouldn’t know. I’m not at the Madrid Open with all the other tennis writers. I’m stuck in NYC enjoying the spring weather and watching New Yorkers gear up for the outdoor tennis season.
With warmer weather there’s a new ensemble of outfits influenced by the newest wave of #tenniscore (🤮). Common pieces include all-white Alo fits, On get ups, or even some lululemon pants with some Veja low-tops mixed in. It’s truly magical.
But this post isn’t about clothes. It’s about bags. Not the bags under your eyes after spending all night at Basement. Not the bags you lost ordering drinks for everyone. I’m talking about tennis bags.
What your tennis bag says about you
Contrary to popular belief, there are actually a wide range of tennis bag styles and each one has a different type a person that wears it.
The classic
If you have this bag you’re either really good or you suck at tennis with no in between. Look at it this way: There’s a reason someone has this bag. The person who bought it felt they needed it. If the person played in college and actually needed to haul 3-4 racquets around to matches. That’s fine. But, there are also the type of people who are rabid gear heads sending moon balls over the fence. You’ll find a lot of these bags in Manhattan—specifically above 14th street.
I don’t personally recommend this bag even if you’re a stud at tennis because you still look like a douche and you’re probably hitting people with it on the subway. However, if you are going to get a classic tennis bag, Head still makes great bags, I’m a Yonex fan boy and you can’t go wrong there, or a classic red Willson bag is non-controversial.
The tennis duffel
Please note, this is entirely different from the average gym duffel bag you take to the gym. This is an up-leveled, most-likely designer bag with some description like “signature colors with its staple silhouettes.”
I’ve been seeing a lot more of these around in the nicer parts of New York and am pretty convinced the people that carry these around only play tennis a few times a year. Hey, they’re nice bags. They even have an outside racquet holster to separate your dirty tennis stuff from your axe, but is that really necessary?
I wouldn’t recommend one of these duffels with the holster on the sides, but some of Dry Boston Bag. Lastly, not a duffel, but this is a really cool backpack from Acronym which could hold your racquet as well.
The simple racquet case
To me, these are what little kids carry around. I don’t really get the functionality of these other than to carry around your shoulder instead of your hand. With an average racquet being 12 oz, I don’t find it that much of an inconvenience to carry a racquet, but to each their own. I’m also a grown ass man and can take care of my stuff without it needing to be in a case at all times. Most of the time when you go to the tennis court, it’s good etiquette to bring a tube of balls with you as well. Good luck fitting that, or a water bottle, or a towel, or your other possessions, in that tight little racquet case. Sorry I’ll stop being mean.
I’m not going to recommend this unless you have some type of vintage racquet with a matching vintage case.
The tote
Now this is a tennis bag. It’s versatile, stylish, and can be used by a beginner or expert player. It’s good to keep your opponent guessing. It’s great for carrying around the city, not bothering anyone. You can store a tube of balls, water, your laptop, or whatever you need. It just makes sense. Totes also vary greatly in price and style where it can be dressed up or dressed down based on your mood or outfit of the day.
If you’re looking to get a tote I recommend the Tower Tote by Palmes, the Carrier 45 Gear Tote by Arc’Teryx, or the ROA tote (I really want this one if any of my family or friends are reading).
The Gucci
Please don’t do this unless you’re Jannik Sinner.
🎤 Shoutouts
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