Korean tennis wear market heats up as sport gaining popularity

Italian sportswear brand Sergio Tacchini [Photo provided by F&F Holdings]

Italian sportswear brand Sergio Tacchini recently jumped in the tennis wear market as competition between fashion brands is intensifying as the sport is gaining popularity among young Koreans.

F&F Holdings Co., a local company engaged in manufacturing and marketing apparel products, announced on Tuesday that it will launch Sergio Tacchini, a world known Italian sportswear brand which was founded in 1966 by the Italian tennis champion of the same name. It is known to be the first brand to introduce fashion into tennis apparel.

The brand is also famous for being worn by top tennis players Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis from the 1990s and the early 2000s. F&F acquired Sergio Tacchini in July last year and has since prepared for the launch.

“The sportswear market is rapidly shifting its focus from basketball and soccer to yoga, golf and tennis,” an F&F official said. “We will make Sergio Tacchini a game changer in the market by utilizing our digital capabilities.”

F&F plans to open an online shopping mall in the middle of this month to sell Sergio Tacchini products in earnest and open shops in department stores and large shopping malls as well at the end of this month.

The Korean tennis population reached 600,000 last year and its market size is estimated to have surpassed 300 billion won ($226.84 million), according to industry sources on Tuesday. According to the Seoul metropolitan government, the number of tennis courts in Seoul has increased to 66 from only 30 in 2003. There are also about 700 indoor tennis courts nationwide as of 2021, a sixfold increase from before Covid-19, according to the Korea Tennis Association.

Italian sportswear brand Sergio Tacchini [Photo provided by F&F Holdings]

“Tennis has lower entry barriers than golf and is growing in popularity among young Koreans as it is considered an aristocratic sport and is suitable for taking selfies,” said an official from the fashion industry. “Unlike golf, which has been stagnant, the tennis market is growing by double digits every year, so we will continue to target this market.”

Major fashion companies are bent on strengthening their tennis clothing lines by acquiring and relaunching global tennis brands to serve good looks on the court as young generations do not just play tennis but enjoy certifying it.

Fila, a local athleisure brand, held a tennis festival, “2023 White Open Seoul,” at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square for two days from April 7 to 8 as part of an effort to promote its brand. During the festival, the company set up a tennis court pop-up to allow people to enjoy tennis freely. Last month, Fila unveiled “Tie Breaker Collection” featuring a variety of tennis clothing lines.

“This year marks 50 years of our launch of tennis wear in 1973,” a Fila official said. “Based on our technology and know-how accumulated for a long time, we plan to unveil a variety of products going forward.”

Kolon Industries FnC Division, meanwhile, is relaunching its sports brand HEAD this month. Kolon FnC introduced the Austrian brand to Korea in 1981 and developed the brand for 10 years after acquiring its copyright in the domestic market in 2009. HEAD is one of the three major brands in the tennis racket field along with Wilson and Babolat, but Kolon FnC has not released a new product since 2020 as the market rapidly froze due to the pandemic. With the renewed tennis craze, HEAD plans to launch a variety of items, including clothing and rackets.