History of unsponsored players

Swingmaster

Hall of Fame
Please post pictures of good players going sponsorless. I’m interested in how players dress when it’s up to them.
 
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Deleted member 22147

Guest
Tommy Haas, for many years, was sponsored by a shop. I think it was from around 2011 onward. At the US Open, against Monaco, he wore about 4 different t-shirts, one of which was a "Haines" Walmart t-shirt with a pocket on the left chest.

Screen-Shot-2021-02-07-at-14-56-49.png


The other brands he wore were Nike, Unlimited and something else that I can't remember.

Ivanisevic Wimbledon 2004, first time since his 2001 win. Wearing the Wimbledon polo out of the gift shop.

601fff67bf5ba.jpg
_yZ84vPweMFPU2yzQMTlJ_nn97m26Oh8jvoVqGVu3bgGRmW-kmOD_VJaq_FMtjth2b6a_btzk_wzn4tYsdLR7dQLg_L1
 
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Antónis

Professional
There was a period when Sampras had no clothes sponsor, his contract with Nike ended, so his clothes had the US flag covering the Nike logos
 

HBK4life

Hall of Fame
Tommy Haas, for many years, was sponsored by a shop. I think it was from around 2011 onward. At the US Open, against Monaco, he wore about 4 different t-shirts, one of which was a "Haines" Walmart t-shirt with a pocket on the left chest.

Screen-Shot-2021-02-07-at-14-56-49.png


The other brands he wore were Nike, Unlimited and something else that I can't remember.

Ivanisevic Wimbledon 2004, first time since his 2001 win. Wearing the Wimbledon polo out of the gift shop.

601fff67bf5ba.jpg

Tommy had the right idea. Save money.
 

Swingmaster

Hall of Fame
Idk probably. Tennis people are stuffy. I play in a megadeath or Metallica shirt while a lot of my teammates have their polos.My shots go just as deep and hard as theirs.
I used to play a guy who always wore a Slayer shirt. I think it was his way of making it clear that he didn’t want to be a part of tennis culture.
 

Lavs

Hall of Fame
Tommy Haas, for many years, was sponsored by a shop. I think it was from around 2011 onward. At the US Open, against Monaco, he wore about 4 different t-shirts, one of which was a "Haines" Walmart t-shirt with a pocket on the left chest.

Screen-Shot-2021-02-07-at-14-56-49.png


The other brands he wore were Nike, Unlimited and something else that I can't remember.

Ivanisevic Wimbledon 2004, first time since his 2001 win. Wearing the Wimbledon polo out of the gift shop.

601fff67bf5ba.jpg
_yZ84vPweMFPU2yzQMTlJ_nn97m26Oh8jvoVqGVu3bgGRmW-kmOD_VJaq_FMtjth2b6a_btzk_wzn4tYsdLR7dQLg_L1
In 2014-2015 he played with very nice Nike t-shirts labeled "Tennis Point" on right shoulder. I liked those a lot.
 

Jack the Hack

Hall of Fame
Venus Williams makes her own clothes and has for years under her "Eleven" brand:


If you sponsor yourself, I think that counts as sponsorless, right?
 

esm

Legend
Did she finally switch from the Duel G? Would think it's an actual switch and not a pj since she's not sponsored.
i read she got the new ones prep'd, but then again i think i saw her went back to her old Gds...
not seen her during the AO prep matches yet... so not sure
 
I wonder if it’d be permitted to wear, say, an AC/DC shirt. I’m sure they have a rule against that.
There’s a rule about how big the logo can be plus you cannot have two logos on a shirt generally but they haven’t been that strict with that rule afaik.
 

1HBHfanatic

Legend
Did she finally switch from the Duel G? Would think it's an actual switch and not a pj since she's not sponsored.
i read she got the new ones prep'd, but then again i think i saw her went back to her old Gds...
not seen her during the AO prep matches yet... so not sure
-i can understand why
-yonex is messing up the PRO-line, big time!!
-not everyone wants a new-age "spinny" toy, some of us still want "SOLID" stable sticks
-these new green vcore.pros suck!!
-its too thin! making them too low powered
 

!<-_->!

Hall of Fame
-i can understand why
-yonex is messing up the PRO-line, big time!!
-not everyone wants a new-age "spinny" toy, some of us still want "SOLID" stable sticks
-these new green vcore.pros suck!!
-its too thin! making them too low powered

Isn't the beam width of the Duel G and the updated VCores all the same? I used the Duel G and the Blue VCore Pro and they were the same beam width iirc.
 

1HBHfanatic

Legend
Isn't the beam width of the Duel G and the updated VCores all the same? I used the Duel G and the Blue VCore Pro and they were the same beam width iirc.
-(orange)tour.g.310/330 beam =20.5/20.5/20.5, weight=329/346, RA63
-(red/orange)dualg.310/330 beam =20.5/20.5/20.5, weight=326/346, RA64
-(blue)pro.310/330 beam = 20/20/20, weight = 326/346, RA65
-(new GREEN)pro.310/330 beam =20/20/20, weight=326/349, RA65
-ever since the yonex.vcore.tour.Fs, they started to mess arround with the specs and fffff the line up
-changes to the pattern (from 16/20 to 16/19) and the weight ^ have been all over the place, and not in a good way
-when you lower the beam width = less material = less stable (n)(n)
 
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!<-_->!

Hall of Fame
-(orange)tour.g.310/330 beam =20.5/20.5/20.5, weight=329/346, RA63
-(red/orange)dualg.310/330 beam =20.5/20.5/20.5, weight=326/346, RA64
-(blue)pro.310/330 beam = 20/20/20, weight = 326/346, RA65
-(new GREEN)pro.310/330 beam =20/20/20, weight=326/349, RA65
-ever since the yonex.vcore.tour.Fs, they started to mess arround with the specs and fffff the line up
-changes to the pattern (from 16/20 to 16/19) and the weight ^ have been all over the place, and not in a good way
-when you lower the beam width = less material = less stable (n)(n)

Oh. Interesting. Didn't even realize they reduced beam width by 0.5mm. Learn something new. Did prefer the Duel over the VCore Pro. Wonder if that was why.
 

dkmura

Professional
2021 could be the year when many rankings points get dropped and contracts fall off. I've been to a pro tournament where a previously sponsored player used mismatched shoes and clothing together with an unstenciled racquet to make the QFs. Could this become commonplace outside the top ten rankings in both the ATP and WTA?
 

Pmasterfunk

Hall of Fame
I wonder if it’d be permitted to wear, say, an AC/DC shirt. I’m sure they have a rule against that.
I remember reading an article in Tennis magazine back in the 90s about how they made up a rule banning clothes with certain design elements on it, which was mostly at the time seen as a way to get the Jensens to wear "regular" tennis clothes:

LUKEOVHD.jpg
JENSENS1.jpg
 
D

Deleted member 22147

Guest
Unrelated to his lack of sponsorship, but he looks way older than 24 in that 2nd photo. Has that ragged, rock star who has done their fair amount of substances vibe going on there imo.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Funny reading your post after i just thought that
 

Jack the Hack

Hall of Fame
I'm watching Aslan Karatsev playing FAA in the 4th round. I could be wrong, but he looks like one of those guys that is "sponsored by his closet" as Brad Gilbert used to say.

Apparently, he's wearing Adidas shirt, socks, hat, and shorts... but using Asics shoes. And I'm not clear if the Adi gear he's wearing is current season, so I'm not sure he's under contract.

I hate to say it, but I had never heard of the guy before this tournament. However, he did look impressive against Schwartzman. This is the kind of match FAA needs to win though.
 

Yoneyama

Hall of Fame
Did she finally switch from the Duel G? Would think it's an actual switch and not a pj since she's not sponsored.

She did, but shes back to the Duel G's again this year. I own both and the Duel G frames have more control in my opinion, but a bit less free power/spin than the Pro frames. If I am playing bad/lazy I usually go back to the Duel G as it is just more forgiving overall.
 
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j crunch

New User
I'm watching Aslan Karatsev playing FAA in the 4th round. I could be wrong, but he looks like one of those guys that is "sponsored by his closet" as Brad Gilbert used to say.

Apparently, he's wearing Adidas shirt, socks, hat, and shorts... but using Asics shoes. And I'm not clear if the Adi gear he's wearing is current season, so I'm not sure he's under contract.
had the exact same thought lol. seems like not his day
 

Jack the Hack

Hall of Fame
what model are his asics shoes?

I'm not really an Asics expert, but I think those might be the Gel Resolution 8?

I'd defer to anyone that knows the Asics line better than I would. I haven't worn Asics in about 8 or 9 years, and I couldn't find that specific colorway he's wearing on TW or any other site:

AP21047202253865-e1613466364439-640x400.jpg
im-299522
 

Swingmaster

Hall of Fame
Unrelated to his lack of sponsorship, but he looks way older than 24 in that 2nd photo. Has that ragged, rock star who has done their fair amount of substances vibe going on there imo.
Someone should try for a Chiquita sponsorship. Lot of banana eaters on tour.
 

KANZA

Semi-Pro
Sampras 2002 Australian Open. contract dispute with Nike near the end of his career left Pete without a sponsor for the tournament:
50954679947_b3c55aeeb1_o_d.jpg

Pete covered up the swoosh with America flags, a popular look at the time as the country was still grieving from the 9/11 tragedy.
 
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