Why do some tennis players wear baseball caps?

[Terry Tibbs]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

 

[cks]

Why do some tennis players wear baseball caps?

I can't speak about the pros, but I love wearing baseball caps when I play. I have three (3) different caps I rotate through during the week.

 

[socallefty]

Fashion and style have their own logic. When you start losing your hair, you might empathize with those who wear caps to cover their scanty hairline also. If you sweat a lot, it helps too to absorb sweat and prevent it from running down to your eyes. For those who grew up in hot, humid weather, it becomes part of your tennis ‘armor’ that you put on before going to ‘battle’.

 

[Kralingen]

In all seriousness its main purpose is as a sweat-wicking device.

Similar to a headband, who no one seems to mind players wearing.

This is why you see guys like Hewitt, Berrettini, Shapo, Khachanov wear it even indoors.

 

[MeatTornado]

Better question is why doesn't everyone?

 

[Poisoned Slice]

I never leave home without it.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

I love Andy Murray.

 

[Moon Shooter]

They should all wear whatever it is that Sebastian Korda wears on his head.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

Edberg wore one, at AO. But then he angrily threw it away.

Lost two slam finals to, ironically, Courier who won 4 slams wearing a cap.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

In all seriousness its main purpose is as a sweat-wicking device.

Similar to a headband, who no one seems to mind players wearing.

This is why you see guys like Hewitt, Berrettini, Shapo, Khachanov wear it even indoors.

What is the purpose of wearing it back to front though?

 

[jonestim]

I wear them at one of the indoor clubs I play in because the lighting is direct light (shining down) and bothersome. In the other, the lights reflect off the white ceiling and I don't wear a hat.

 

[Daniel Andrade]

I find it too uncomfortable

 

[cks]

What is the purpose of wearing it back to front though?

No idea, but Sylvester Stallone wore his hat backward in the film "Over the Top"

 

[puppybutts]

I don't know why people get so bothered by hats. It's literally just something that soaks up sweat, if you don't agree with players' other reasons to wear them.

and if you ask why players don't just wear a headband, well, those get even more criticism and I think Nadal is the only player I've seen be able to wear them without someone making a fuss.

 

[AM75]

If you sweats a lot, baseball caps don't let sweat run down your face.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Even baby Fed wore them.

 

[Slicehand]

they too gangsta

 

[Devilito]

Hair and sweat gets in your eyes and caps help temper that. The more you know

 

[jindra]

Subscribed.

 

[Sudacafan]

I hate anything over my head.
I would only wear one in the desert under 100F minimum, and I am not sure if I’d throw it away when I start to sweat.

 

[RaulRamirez]

As someone who has played a lot of baseball (I still compete in softball leagues) and tennis over the years, it's just standard equipment for me. For me, it's more anti-sun than anti-sweat.

 

[Sudacafan]

Even baby Fed wore them.

Then he came of age.

 

[pj80]

Protect the hair from the sun?

 

[Backspin1183]

Because they are sponsored.

 

[Tshooter]

 

[beltsman]

What is the purpose of wearing it back to front though?

Absorbs sweat and keeps hair back

 

[accidental]

Male pattern baldness

 

[jindra]

OP will die when he learns what kind of "baseball cap" I wear in the summer...

 

[AceyMan]

What is the purpose of wearing it back to front though?

=> it shades the neck from the overhead sun.

yah, it looks goofy af, but at least it "serves" a purpose ...

/Acey

 

[norcal]

As someone who has played a lot of baseball (I still compete in softball leagues) and tennis over the years, it's just standard equipment for me. For me, it's more anti-sun than anti-sweat.

Yep, if you have to track a baseball in the bright sun it's an obvious choice. Not quite as helpful in tennis, but still helpful to keep the sun out of your eyes. Keeps melanoma out of your face as well.

 

[Deleted member 791948]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

I wear baseball caps when I play sport because it prevents the sweat from running down my face. It soaks up the sweat
I've played sport without baseball caps and my face is dripping with sweat and hair soaked.
Nadal could benefit from wearing a cap, and he wears them in practice anyway.

 

[metsman]

Because not everyone has good enough hair to wear bandanas.

 

[FutureF1]

Sweat mostly. And anyone looks like a pr*ck when you go to the courts as a rec player wearing a big headband.

Though recently I’ve been going with just a small sweatband on my wrist, but that sometimes isn’t enough.

 

[Deleted member 762343]

Because not everyone has good enough hair to wear bandanas.

Tiafoe should stop wearing a headband, it looks horrible on him.

 

[Joss Owtram]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

The better question is why do golfers wear caps when you don't sweat much in golf. To which the answer is that they're paid to wear them for the advertising. Hence why some players don't wear a cap in the Ryder Cup when they're not contractually obliged to do so.

 

[Rosstour]

=> it shades the neck from the overhead sun.

yah, it looks goofy af, but at least it "serves" a purpose ...

/Acey

Thing is, I can't wear them backwards without the brim hitting my shoulders/neck. Don't understand how guys like Shapo and Grigor have done that

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

OP will die when he learns what kind of "baseball cap" I wear in the summer...

 

[MeatTornado]

Thing is, I can't wear them backwards without the brim hitting my shoulders/neck. Don't understand how guys like Shapo and Grigor have done that

I tried to hit 1 serve with my hat backwards and that was the end of that forever.

 

[Bill Lobsalot]

The better question is why do golfers wear caps when you don't sweat much in golf. To which the answer is that they're paid to wear them for the advertising. Hence why some players don't wear a cap in the Ryder Cup when they're not contractually obliged to do so.

British golfers tended to not wear caps as much back in the day - mostly cloudy weather? Caps keep the sun out of your eyes when you look up to track your shot and it makes it easier to read the break on the greens when putting. Skin benefits too.

 

[ALCARAZWON]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

A cap can soak up the sweat of your hair, so the sweat won't run into your eyes constantly
In fact its also useful when you are bald, as the sweat drips from your head down your face, so the cap helps prevent that.
Agassi's head was dripping with sweat always, so that cap helped him a lot, and he wore a bandana in 1995-96.

 

[NeutralFan]

I love Andy Murray.

Theo Walcott of Tennis

 

[CosmosMpower]

Keeps the sweat and hair out of my face

 

[Holmes]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

Pete had a brief, but terrible phase where he wore a cap at the Australian Open. Note, I do not go into further detail because it has been stricken from the records.
Since becoming a champion Roger has only worn them in practice as far as I know. Ditto Rafa, and yes, Nole had his moments too, and they were terrible, too.

 

[SonnyT]

Some players are more comfortable with a tennis cap on, shine or not. Or maybe they foresee what's in the future! I haven't seen Sinner play without one.

 

[jxs653]

It's a better choice than headband which leaves line on forehead.

 

[DSH]

OP will die when he learns what kind of "baseball cap" I wear in the summer...

In Mexico, there was a comedy program well known worldwide, called El Chavo del 8, where the main character wore a cap with the same characteristics that Ivan Lendl would later wear in several editions of the Australian Open.

 

[tennisandtennis]

They seem to have no logical purpose and are nothing more than fashion accessories.

Murray and Duckworth are playing under a roof with zero sun but are still wearing baseball caps. The greatest players of all time - Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras etc rarely if ever wore baseball caps. In fact out of those guys I think only Djokovic has wore one but not that often.

They wick sweat and have a different feel from
sweatbands and head ties.

I have medium-length hair and a lot of it. A cap holds it all in.

It’s not that hard to figure out, guy.

 

[DSH]

They wick sweat and have a different feel from
sweatbands and head ties.

I have medium-length hair and a lot of it. A cap holds it all in.

It’s not that hard to figure out, guy.

Close the thread, now!

 

[mtommer]

What is the purpose of wearing it back to front though?

It wicks sweat better. For heavy sweaters like myself, the downward directions helps a lot, and even then, it doesn't stop all sweat. And yes, some of us can wring out clothes, hats, sweatbands like wet rags after playing.

 

[vokazu]

It helps to minimise sunlight and flood light exposures to your eyes.