Wimbledon champions wear Nike – and this year’s favourites are both Nike athletes
When you think of Wimbledon champions over the past three decades, the image in your mind may also feature a distinctive logo on their clothing and shoes – the iconic Nike tick.
The American sportswear giant has always been highly selective when adding tennis players to their roster of ambassadors and their current checklist of A-listers continues a long tradition of working with only the best.
Here, we look back at the current crop of stars preparing to light up the hallowed grass courts at Wimbledon – and some tennis greats from the past who lit up the courts at the All England Club in Nike clothing and shoes.
Carlos Alcaraz
The defending Wimbledon champion and favourite to reclaim his crown this year is now the biggest star in men’s tennis. And from the moment he stepped onto the court as a professional, he has worn Nike-branded clothing.
Following in the footsteps of his compatriot and fellow long-time Nike ambassador Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title wearing Nike clothing and shoes at the 2022 US Open and he backed that up by winning four more major titles by the tender age of 22.
Alcaraz’s win in the French Open final against Jannik Sinner at the start of June came after a match hailed by many observers as one of the greatest of all time and now he is preparing to try and win a third successive Wimbledon title.
Last year at Wimbledon Alcaraz joined an impressive list of tennis legends when Nike launched his very own Nike Vapor 11 colourway.
The Nike Vapor shoes are built for speed and flexibility, helping Alcaraz move around court quickly and efficiently. There are three colourways available here.
Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz’s big rival at the top of the men’s rankings is the current world No 1 Sinner and he has won three Grand Slam titles since landing his first at the Australian Open at the start of 2024.
Sinner is the calm, cool and efficient champion who offers a very different presence on court when compared to the smiling, effervescent Alcaraz. He is a slick and ruthless winning machine who will be at the top of the men’s game for the next decade and more.
Sinner famously wore the Nike Zoom Zero shoes for several years after they were discontinued. His decision to use an older range of shoes is a strong endorsement for their quality – and the Italian won his first major, the 2024 Australian Open, in his preferred footwear.
The latest iteration of the range is the Nike Zoom GP Challenge 1 and Sinner has finally moved to the new shoe, although he has had it modified slightly for a closer fit to the Zoom.
Aryna Sabalenka
The player who proudly sits at the top of the WTA Rankings has endured a challenging season after losing in the final of the Australian Open and French Open.
Despite those defeats against Madison Keys in the Melbourne final and Coco Gauff in the championship match in Paris, Sabalenka is the undisputed queen of the women’s game and the strong favourite to win her first Wimbledon title.
A player who epitomises Nike’s fearless ‘Just Do It’ attitude on the court, she is a three-time Grand Slam champion who will surely win more major titles in the coming years.
Sabalenka has been with Nike since 2017 and has worn a selection of Nike shoes in that time, including the famous cherry red NikeCourt Zoom NXT shoes in her 2024 Australian Open victory over Qinwen Zheng.
Sabalenka also has her own Nike logo, has appeared in Nike Superbowl adverts, and sports a range of eye-catching Nike outfits in tournaments. You can shop the full range here.
Rafael Nadal
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was a Nike player from the moment he burst through the tennis system in Spain.
The sleeveless Nike shirt he wore as he dominated the tennis world at the French Open was a symbol of Nadal’s ‘raging bull’ look, while his knee-length shorts were another memorable moment on his journey with the sportswear brand.
Like Federer, the caps featuring Nadal and Nike’s logo proved to be hugely popular with tennis fans.
Roger Federer
One of the faces of Nike’s tennis family for the first two decades of this century, Federer was a symbol of excellence with the famous tick on his clothing up to 2018.
He won all of his 20 Grand Slam titles wearing Nike apparel and featured in some memorable advertising campaigns for the sportswear giant.
His ‘RF’ branded caps were also hugely popular and can still be seen being worn by tennis fans even though the Swiss maestro has called time on his career.
Nike has also launched a remake of the famous Air Force 1 Federer Forever trainers, which were originally launched to celebrate Federer taking the world number one spot.
Andre Agassi
This Las Vegas showman was Nike’s ultimate brand ambassador in the 1990s, as his oozing charisma and reputation as a rebel fighting against the traditional tennis establishment fitted the clothing brand he wore.
Some of the Nike adverts promoting their association with Agassi highlighted his brash eagerness to take on ‘Country Club’ elites who were not welcoming the denim shorts and colourful clothing that proved to be so popular with young fans.
Agassi won his 1992 Wimbledon title in Nike clothing and promoted their tennis brand around the globe to a younger audience.
Serena Williams
The ultimate champion of her generation, Williams proudly wore the Nike branding during most of her career that saw her secure a stunning 23 Grand Slam titles.
She was the face of Nike’s women’s tennis output for almost two decades and her farewell appearances at the 2022 US Open gave her highest-profile sponsor a chance to toast her retirement with a series of social media posts.
Serena has also turned designer for Nike and the collaboration has led to an entire line of Nike products celebrating one of the greatest sportspeople of all time.
Pete Sampras
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Sampras appeared in Nike adverts alongside his great rival Agassi in the 1990s and early 2000s, with this 14-time Grand Slam champion a very different personality on and off the court.
If Agassi was the tennis rebel, Sampras was the efficient champion who went about his business with minimal fuss, with his booming serve blowing his rivals away as he dominated at Wimbledon.