Tennis players used to be obligated to adhere to a strict dress code. The limitations have mostly disappeared, despite Wimbledon’s reputation for being quite severe. What justifies then why do tennis players wear caps?
Fewer rules apply to recreational tennis players than ever before. Having said that, there is still a dress code to observe some general advice to ensure that players are at their ease. Tennis – whether it’s a sun-kissed Roland Garros tournament, the US Open, or Wimbledon – is an obvious variation on the norm.
There aren’t many sports where players are required to run around for much the whole day in the sun’s full rays. Additionally, playing in a heat wave like the one the UK is now having this week is a disaster for anyone with a delicate scalp or a condition that causes hair loss.
Why Do Tennis Players Wear Cap?
With the popularity of baseball player Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1990s, the fashion of wearing caps backward in different matches gained traction. Later, the fashion was adopted by the hip-hop scene and other sports, solidifying the status of hats as a chic appearance that anyone could pull off.
It is still a common fashion nowadays. Tennis games are played on a court, where the bright sunlight on the head during play can cause hair loss. Tennis caps are therefore functional and protect from UV rays.
Rules To Wear Tennis Cap
The winner is obvious if you glance across tennis courts at your local club or watch pros on television. The glasses may be worn by a single or two experts (Janko Tipsarevic, the second most popular Serb tennis player).
Most of the athletes are donning tennis hats. A quality tennis cap needs to be composed of breathable material and lightweight. Air vents in caps allow you to keep your head cool. Additionally, a good cap either allows sweat to evaporate or absorbs it with a sweatband.
This is quite helpful since it prevents sweat from dripping into your eyes. The ideal tennis cap integrates both frameworks. Of course, the shield on the cap also serves to block the sun. Since most caps have a hook and loop closure to customize the fit, sizing shouldn’t be a major issue.
Consequently, selecting the appropriate hat is more of a design consideration than a functional one. Tennis hats are widely accessible. Every tennis manufacturer produces them; it’s just a matter of choosing the style you like best.
The Trend of Backward Caps
Hewitt made his debut in the 1997 Australian Open as a qualifier at the age of fifteen, losing to Sergi Bruguera in the opening round. Hewitt won Adelaide in January of 1999 at the age of sixteen.
Except for a few rare occasions, like the year he won Wimbledon, Hewitt has worn the backward cap throughout his career. Instead, he opted for a Nike sweatband during those times.
Many players have adopted Hewitt’s pattern since it became popular among ATP players in the late 1990s. Today, around a dozen athletes, including Tommy Haas, Jack Sock, Rhyne Williams, Jurgen Melzer, Dennis Kudla, Somdev Devvarman, Paolo Lorenzi, Richard Gasquet, Andreas Seppi, Benjamin Becker, and Robby Ginepri, are rocking the Hewitt look.
Tennis Players Follow Backward Cap Trend
The Hewitt glance has also been adopted by players like Juan Ignacio Chela, Bernard Tomic, Alex Bogomolov Jr., Lukasz Kubot, Guillermo Coria, Rainer Schuettler, and John Isner in recent years.
However, Isner has switched to the conventional reverse look since Lacoste started sponsoring him a few years ago. Even Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer will train while sporting their Nike caps backward.
I questioned Rhyne Williams in Delray Beach about his cap style because he said that Hewitt was one of his biggest tennis influences. The young American said, “No, not really. ”I’ve been doing it all my life. It’s kind of my thing, I dunno. It appeals to a lot of people. Since I was nine years old, I have been doing it.
Conclusion
Although it’s difficult to trace the original origin of the gradient cap style, Ken Griffey Jr., a baseball star, is responsible for making the trend well known. In the 1990s, well-known rappers and hip-hop singers embraced the look, which helped the style gain more traction. Backward caps are probably here to stay because they are worn by sports, celebrities, and everyday people alike well into the year 2022.
FAQ’S
The most common form of the cap worn by tennis players is an adjustable tennis cap. These caps are frequently constructed from breathable mesh, which promotes airflow and perspiration absorption. The caps also have a strap that can be adjusted in the rear to match most players’ head sizes.
Visors shield the face from the sun in the same way that hats and caps do, but because they lack a crown, air can circulate freely to cool the head, which makes them ideal for sports like tennis.
To prevent the brim from getting in the way of their safety masks, catchers first wore the backward cap on the baseball field.
Tennis players cover their hair and foreheads with headbands when competing. For a variety of reasons, both men and women decide to wear headbands when competing. Tennis players typically wear headbands to prevent sweat from getting into their eyes and to prevent their hair from whipping in their faces during play.