Today, industry-leading sportswear brand, adidas and cult tennis magazine, Racquet reveal the adidas x Racquet Public Court collection, designed to celebrate public court tennis.
To challenge the norm where tennis is associated only with country club elites, Racquet has been busy building a community of tastemakers and creators in cities around the world to showcase an alternative. Together this collective tells stories of when tennis has been on the right side of history – through the inclusion and elevation of Black athletes, gender equality and LGBTQ+ representation – and acting as a critical voice when it hasn’t.
Working in collaboration with adidas designers, the limited-edition streetwear collection can be worn on and off the court. Pieces include a remastered version of the iconic adidas Forest Hills shoe, a performance and court-ready Defiant M, and two limited-edition graphic tees with design inspiration born from NYC tennis culture. The Defiant’s soles take direct visual nuances from the McCarren Park public tennis courts in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, while the adidas Forest Hills shoe is named after the original location of the US Open in Queens.
The adidas x Racquet Public Court collection continues to amplify Racquet’s mission to be the voice of a new tennis boom since the magazine’s founding in 2016. Racquet has brought together communities on public tennis courts to reclaim the narrative that tennis can – and should – be for all. Shared by adidas, this belief became a building block and driving force for the co-creation of this collection with all voices in mind.
Racquet’s first Head of Marketing, Sapphire Stubbs, a Black woman with ties to the fashion, music and entertainment world, conceived the campaign and acted as creative director for our adidas Forest Hills shoot, featuring up-and-coming American athlete of color, Katrina Scott, fresh off her sensational Grand Slam debut at the US Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Racquet’s first Head of Marketing, Sapphire Stubbs, said “We as a society are actively challenging and redefining the scope of who has access to what. From tennis to fashion and entertainment to utility, we choose what we wear on our bodies and want to know who is behind it.
It was an honor to work with an iconic brand like adidas and challenge those notions of authority alongside Racquet. We made sure to consider everything from celebrating the alternative experience of the person who conceptualized the campaign, to the individual in front of the lens, showcasing Black women from the past and future actively engaged in the sport. These things all work together to drive real change and inclusion.”
Featuring shoes, tees, a track jacket and polo silhouette, the collection is available today via racquetmag.com. Sign up at adidas.com for your chance to win a limited selection of this collection today.
Photo by Matthew Salacuse
