ACE is a Must-Have Book for Tennis Fans Who Love Fashion

Interview with Sunita Kumar Nair about her new book, "ACE: The Times & Style of Tennis."

ACE: The Times & Style of Tennis. | Abrams

No sport is as closely intertwined with the fashion world as tennis. And no expert is as qualified to take on the herculean task of documenting the history of tennis style than Sunita Kumar Nair. In her new book, ACE: The Times & Style of Tennis, the bestselling author and leading fashion voice charts this dynamic style evolution for the first time. 

Kumar Nair, author of the acclaimed CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion and a noted fashion and creative director, brings the same eye for elegance and modern restraint to ACE.

With an extensive background contributing to W, WWD, Vanity Fair, and The Sunday Times Style, she has collaborated with an impressive roster of visionary talents in fashion and photography who shape the industry today.  

In her book, Kumar Nair explores the sport's most defining fashion moments, legendary players, and the designers who have shaped the look of the game. Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI spoke with her about the book and how she turned an arduous process into a page-turner that is a must-have for tennis fans this summer.

ACE: The Times & Style of Tennis. | Abrams

What was your favorite part about writing this book?

There was so much. I initially come from a photography background, so I thought I would just make a very beautiful photographic book for people to flip through. And then I realized that when I started doing earnest research, I actually couldn't do that. And it wouldn't do the subject any justice if I did do that.

Then I reached out to sports brands, and they were like, 'Oh, hey, that's actually what we're thinking ourselves, and that's how we feel that fashion's going to move forward.' So, they invited me over. So that part was just really a gift in a way because it had this incredible knock-on effect.

Sunita Kumar Nair at New Balance. | Courtesy of Sunita Kumar Nair

When did you start writing the book?

I think I only signed on to it like last year. So roughly a year and a little bit. But the difficulty was that because we were talking about designs that were gonna be on the court, if I delayed it any longer, it would almost feel outdated in terms of the present conversation. So, yeah, I did have to turn it around fast.

What was the most challenging part?

I think the most challenging part is, you know, when I wrote CBK, that was my world. That was like my fashion world. I think when you come from a very like luxury-fashion background, you know, I used to work at W magazine. I think in our minds, we would always kind of relegate sports to a kind of like second or third tier, right?

And my realization upon writing ACE was actually, if it's not on the same par as luxury wear. But on a different front, because it's for performance and there's a functional aspect to it. So, it was a challenge to knock on the sports world, even though the sports brands were very supportive. Some of the sports agents are used to dealing with the same people and they were like, 'Oh god, it's this fashion girl thinks that she's going to cover sportswear' (laughs).

That was a little challenging. I knew how Nike and Adidas and all those brands had done their sports brands, and I wanted it to match the same level of information, integrity, and research.

Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams at Wimbledon. | Steve Parsons / PA Images / Alamy

What did you hate to leave out?

Oh, my God. I managed to get Naomi Osaka's Australian Open dress in, so that was January of this year. It was going to print, and I was literally begging my editor. I was like, we have to put this in because it's like, it was full circle as far as I was concerned. Like the women fighting to be emancipated and free, and then Naomi Osaka actually coming out and choosing to wear that was like... Yeah, that was like everything for me.

Coco Gauff for New Balance. | Courtesy New Balance

What was something you learned?

I think the technicality, the amount of detail that goes into sportswear design, how they test the fabrics, and the kind of innovations happening in sportswear fabrics. It was really interesting how all the brands had the same kind of mantra that if you feel good, you play good.

My editor was like, 'That's not good English,' and I was like, 'That's literally what they told me' (laughs). Like, let's edit it in a fairly good way, but that was always seemed to be the holy grail for them. I thought it was fascinating that that was how they made performance wear, and that good-looking performance wear, like his performance wear that we want to wear, you know?

What was your favorite part about writing this book?

Honestly, I hate kind of history books in a way, and I had to reference and go back, and I was thinking about how the reader would want to read this? Like, what would kind of pique their interest, and I don't want to start from A and end up to Z, right? So, the favorite part was putting the players in these categories and seeing how I could tell the story and how it would be interesting for everyone.

Maria Sharapova at the 2006 U.S. Open. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire 

What were some of your favorite interviews?

I wanted to get a range of players to go into the categories. I think the players sometimes don't even realize there's something almost not spiritual, but very psychological, in the way they choose what they're wearing and when they're on court. And it's almost very animal-like, and I wanted to really get into their skin in a way and know what they were thinking. I was just really surprised by people's openness to talking about this side of them, because it is a side that often doesn't get relayed.

Who did you want but couldn't get?

I mean, Serena (Williams) was a really big one. I did try a few times to get her, and for me, she was one of the ones I grew up with, and I felt like she really understood the dialogue of fashion. I would have really liked to have asked those questions, and I know one day I will get to speak to her.

Still, it would have been great to do it for ACE just because she was so groundbreaking, and she really did tear down these incredible obstacles about how she was perceived as a woman, how she was perceived as a player.

I'm sure she feels like she's gone on from that now as a mother, but I think even more so, it would have been interesting to speak to her because she has two girls. And how females are often objectified when they come on court.

I think it would have been very empowering to get some kind of message from her. And then, of course, Rafa (Nadal) was one that I really did want to get because I'm just a personal fan. But now I see why it was a no because he had this Netflix deal, and that's what happens.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. | IMAGO / ABACAPRESS 

How did you decide on the cover?

Yeah, I'd done an amazing day with Ari Marcopoulos at the U.S. Open, and we had the grace of a couple of people letting us in to watch them practice. And there's so much control over the players and their images and any film taken. It almost puts an obstacle on creativity or how you can portray the players. There's so much control these days.

I was initially — because Ari just has such an incredible story with his photography — I was thinking about him for the cover. But we went with Robbie Lawrence's picture because it is actually on a match day, and when they're practicing, they're in their shorts and their usual functional performance wear. And I did want to have that on-court feeling with the crowd watching.

And Robbie is a brilliant photographer himself. He's done loads of things for the Wall Street Journal. It was a no-brainer in my mind that I was gonna put Coco (Gauff) on it, and it was just, what is that image? And then, of course, she's serving, and it could be an ace, it may not be. I don't know, but I think we'd leave that for the reader to decide.

Coco Gauff for New Balance. | Courtesy New Balance

Which brands and players are currently doing a good job?

I think there is a new chapter, hopefully happening. Adidas did a beautiful job with the Trefoil and with their pieces last year. New Balance, with their collaboration with Miu Miu, is just rocking it. I feel like there's so much more space for more conversations to happen personally.

I went to the French Open, saw Marta (Kostyuk) in her Wilson outfit, and thought it was so graceful. And it doesn't even need to have a thematic aspect to it when the players are on-court. To me, that just exemplified classic wear.

I even bought the dress myself because I was like that's true design where you see yourself in it, you want what a player is wearing, right? In terms of like street, when we're thinking about maybe the hype labels or things that could be way out there, there could be a lot more on the forum, and I'm looking forward to it. There is a space for a great collab to happen. I'd be interested to see if that does take off.