In 2012, Milos Raonic and Bob Smith met in a conference room at the Boston headquar- ters of New Balance, the athletic footwear and apparel company. At the time, Raonic was a rising tennis star, a 21-year-old Canadian whose 150-mile-per-hour serve had vaulted him into the Top 20 world rankings and earned him the nickname “Missile.” Smith was a 48-year-old rock drummer–turned–sportswear designer; he worked for Nike for 11 years before New Bal- ance hired him to help develop their tennis pro- gram. The company was considering signing Ra- onic to a big endorsement deal. But frst, Smith needed to ask a crucial question.
“I said to Milos, ‘Would you wear pink?’” Although designing tennis kits isn’t a
high-profle job in fashion, it can ofer an ap- parel brand a showcase like few other sports. Tournaments are played around the globe, and a player is on court for three hours wearing one non-team-afliated outft. The game’s stars are like serving, slicing, baseline-grinding billboards.
For New Balance, which is known for its anti-marketing approach—one of its enduring slogans is “Endorsed By No One”—outftting Raonic was a savvy way to up the brand’s profle internationally. Smith and his bosses wanted an up-and-coming player who would cause a sensa- tion, get people excited about the sport, and win singles titles—but, more important, make the clothes look great doing it. As Smith put it, “You want Andre, not Pete.”
Their collaborative relationship as designer and muse began ahead of the Australian Open, in 2013, and it ofers a window into the numer- ous considerations both practical and esoter- ic that go into making a tennis kit that pops. What’s the right balance between function and style? How can you stand out during all-white Wimbledon? Headband or no? And can any player ever look as cool as Borg in his ’70s Fila tracksuit and spread-collar, body-hugging tops?
For Raonic, the most important aspect of a kit is how
the clothes perform. “Out on court I want to give myself
the best opportunity to win,” he says. “I can’t have a shirt
that feels heavy if I sweat in it, or one that’s sticking to
your body if it’s humid.” The best thing, he says, is “to put
it on and it’s not something you ever think about again.”
Like a Paris couturier, Smith and his team create an
entire custom outft—a top, a short, and shoes—for every
Slam and big tournament, from the Australian Open in
January to the ATP World Tour Finals in November. New
Balance has a handful of lower-tier players signed to deals,
but Raonic is their fashion swan, the client who gets the
greatest consideration and most striking clothes, down to
accessories like socks and wristbands. “I hate when you
see a guy on court and his kit looks great but his ankle
supports are gray. As if they don’t matter,” Smith says.