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The 2025 tennis season is underway and the world’s top players including Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and 2021 US Open winner, Emma Raducanu, will be taking to court with top-of-the-range equipment.
The trio have all won Grand Slams with Sabalenka a three-time major champion as she is the reigning Australian Open and US Open winner while Gauff won the 2023 US Open.
They will no doubt be eyeing more success, but besides the obvious talent, players also need equipment that they are comfortable with.
The two essential items in every player’s kitbag will be their tennis racket and the tennis shoes that are needed to navigate various surfaces around the world as the Australian Open is played on hard courts, Roland Garros take place on clay while grass is the surface at Wimbledon.
Many of the best players in the world have signed deals with top manufacturers including Nike, New Balance and Asics, and those with a high enough profile will even have their very own signature tennis trainers. We take a look at the world’s top players and their choice of tennis shoes for the 2025 season.
Aryna Sabalenka has been with Nike since 2017 and the reigning world No 1 has worn a selection of Nike shoes in that time. They include the famous cherry red NikeCourt Zoom NXT shoes donned during her 2024 Australian Open victory over Qinwen Zheng.
Later in the year, Sabalenka appeared in white Nike Court Zoom Vapor 11 shoes featuring a tiger logo design.
Sabalenka praised her shoes after a slip at the BNP Paribas Open that caused a brief injury scare, saying the Nike shoes helped her keep her feet and prevent further injury.
The Nike Court Zoom Vapor 11 is designed for quick players who move quickly around court. Lower than some other tennis shoes, it is a lightweight option but still uses Nike’s Air Zoom technology for extra cushioning.
You can buy the shoes here.
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Emma Raducanu caused a surge in internet searches for the Nike Vapor NXT tennis shoes when she wore them at the age of 18 and England’s big tennis hope has been wearing Nike shoes ever since.
The Nike Reach Vapor NXT features the brand’s ‘React’ cushioning for the first time. As the name suggests the cushioning is designed to offer extra comfort and support. The brand says: “The React foam is placed near your arch, working in combination with firmer foam along the outside of your foot to provide a close-to-ground, responsive feel and efficient ankle alignment for fast directional changes.”
The mesh upper allows for extra breathability for more comfort on court. It is also one of the more stylish shoes on the market.
You can buy them here.
Many of the women’s top players choose Nike but Coco Gauff has instead opted for New Balance and even has her own signature shoe with the brand.
As you can expect from the USA superstar the tennis shoes of choice are influenced by the country’s sporting culture.
Strongly impacted by basketball silhouettes and ‘90s aesthetics, the Coco CG1 features a multi-piece upper construction, outfitted with bold colour blocking.
The distinctive looks are paired with the dynamic responsiveness of FuelCell cushioning and new Energy Arc technology, while a Fit Weave Lite woven upper provides a lightweight but supportive lockdown fit.
