TennisIDENTITY

Cotton ON to this line from Under Armour.

Cotton t-shirts are well-loved but they are not great for tennis. Once a sweat sets in they get wet, stay wet and cling. Under Armour's line of performance cotton (UA Charged Cotton) which weaves hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers together, solves the problem. 

Same soft, smooth feel as as old-friend tee, the new line really does wick and dry fast. I like them for the gym too. Basic tee for a guy but select women's tops have a loose but close fitted athletic cut (look for the words "semi fitted" on the label). Nice coverage up top and they are long, keeping that less-than-perfect zone under wraps while serving.

The t-back tank, right, is what I tried. 5% elastanane alongside 95% cotton adds stretch.

If you have been steering clear of cotton, check this line out which includes crew and v neck tees as well as shorts. Both tops pictured run $24.99 USD.

 Find the line at Under Armour, Tennis Warehouse and tennis retailers worldwide.

Marion Bartoli debuts an Under Armour contract at the New Haven Open

Marion Bartoli is wearing Under Armour tennis apparel for the first time at the New Haven Open. Formerly with Nike, Bartoli says the new contract is still very fresh.

"The clothes are very comfortable," she said. "I like them a lot." 

Bartoli hopes to grow a role with Under Armour designing fashionable, functional tennis apparel for the court. "I like colors, layers...We French," she smiled, "are very fashion concious people."

Marion says she enjoys both tennis dresses and separates but has been restricted to the latter over the past couple of years.

Her look for the Open? She'll be picking it out within the next few days. For the moment she will focus on winning in New Haven. She says she loves the tournament for the conditions prep it gives her prior to New York (just two hours away).

Pictured above Marion wears an Under Armour Slice Tank and Skort, $50 each.

Find similar styles at UnderArmour, Tennis-Warehouse and tennis retailers worldwide.

Sloane Stephens. On growing up tennis, style and Korean BBQ.

Sloane Stephens often comes up when discussing young US tennis talents. Keep an eye out for her at the inaugural Citi Open at the Tennis Center in College Park Maryland but get to know her first. At 18, she's ranked 125 in the world (WTA):

How old were you when you started tennis? I was 9 years old when I started taking tennis lessons.

When did you click as "committed" to the game? I started playing USTA tournaments when I was 10 but everything really didn't "click" for me until I was 12.

As you spent years focused on growing your game did you feel torn about missing some of the regular teen stuff friends were doing? This was definitely a tough issue for me. I was home-schooled from 6th grade on so I always knew that I was missing school activities and gatherings with my friends. 

What would you say to teen players who are struggling with this? In the long run, the commitment to tennis pays off. I love tennis, so personally, I didn't mind the sacrifice. For teen players who are struggling, I would encourage them to follow their dreams and not let anything stand in the way. 

Favorite surface? Red Clay!

Tennis racquet? Head Prestige.

Tennis apparel sponsor? Under Armour. The best!

Do you get to pick what you wear on court? I pretty much have a choice of a number of different outfits that I travel with. Under Armour makes sure that I have a variety of outfits and colors.

Do you like a certain style? I like to be comfortable...and sporty!

Any pre-match rituals? I listen to my pre-match playlist.

Favorite band/singer? Beyonce.

I saw you featured in Teen Vogue. Did you have fun doing that piece? I really loved doing the shoot for Teen Vogue. It was a lot of fun and it was really cool to learn about all that happens in a photo shoot. The preparation was unreal! Video here.

Favorite foods? My Grandma's macaroni and cheese and Korean BBQ

Favorite color(s)? Orange and pink.

Most inspirational tennis player? Kim Clijsters.

Favorite thing to do with your free time (not tennis)? Spend time with my Grandparents, my family and friends. 

Goals for 2011? Strengthen my serve. Get into the WTA top 100. 

Follow Stephens at home and on-tour via Twitter @sloanetweets. The Citi Open runs July 23-31, 2011. You can follow it on Twitter @CitiOpen. 

 

Bethanie Mattek-Sands ready to slice, poach and...dunk?

Bethanie Mattek-Sands, always a head-turner with her tennis fashions, pulled together a pretty fresh looking number at Hopman Cup recently. She's in Perth representing the USA with John Isner.  Her look is all Under Armour, minus the socks which are doubled up thin soccer socks (not UA). This outfit is one of my Bethanie favs so far.

The top is a version of the UA women's slice tank and the shorts are similar to the slice pleated skirt. The exact pieces she has on are not available at the moment. 

The surprise (to me at least) is the basketball shoes.

Mattek-Sands is wearing a version of Under Armour's mens micro G blur basketball shoes in white and black (red laces included). Basketball shoes for tennis, hmmm; why not I guess, especially hard court?

 I like this look a lot, with headband, minus socks.

The Hopman Cup runs through January 8, 2011. Learn more about it HERE.

Find the like-looks at UnderArmour.com. 

 

Igor Andreev in Court Staples from Under Armour.

I'm seeing a whole lot of Under Armour on the rec tennis courts, especially on guys. There is just something all-athletic about the line -- for the no fluff, no show, just want to get the job done kind of guy.

 Pictured here at Wimbledon Igor Andreev wore a white version of the Under Armour Men's Classic II Crew, $39.99 (similar to the Team Zone Crew) and Men's Woven Short, $39.99; great tennis staples with an edge that includes Heat Gear tech, 30+ sun protection and anti-odor technology.

If you've worn UA you know that this stuff is lightweight and all performance. This particular shirt is not a compression top so much looser fitting than some UA tops. I personally like the look of loose much better than tight (on a guy that is - Rafa excepted). 

Andreev plays with the Babolat Pure Drive GT. Props to him for a great run at All London. Find his gear at Under Armour, Babolat and Tennis-Warehouse.

Image: Igor Andreev vs. Tommy Haas, June 29, 2009 courtesy LIFE.

Guys. Vibrancy and Technology For Your Game.

If you're a tech lover and not a subdued colors guy, here are a couple of great choices. Top left, seen just recently on Igor Andreev at the Madrid Masters, is the Under Armour Men's Fall Clutch Polo, $69.99 USD. Made of PolyArmour Heat Gear, this men's tennis shirt offers great temperature and moisture management. It is 30+UPF and has anti-odor technology built in. The mesh side panels on the shirt are white and ice grey. It's eye catching, especially in motion. The shirt also comes as a crew neck, if you prefer t-shirt style. Igor wore his with white Fall Edge Shorts, $39.99 and a white head-band. Sharp.

The shirt on the right is by Yonex and we have seen quite a bit of it on Lleyton Hewitt and on David Nalbandian this fall. It's the New York Crew in yellow with blue, black and red accents. It is part of their Very Cool line meaning that the fabrication lowers body heat by 3 degrees.The fabric incorporates xylitol (yes, like in chewing gum) that absorbs heat (who knew?), $49.99. It comes in white as well. Looks great with black shorts. Yonex makes a pair for $39.99.

Buy at Tennis-Warehouse. You can also learn more at YonexUSA.com or UnderArmour.com.

Igor by Daniel Garcia/AFP/Getty Images, David by Pedro Armestre/Getty Images.

US Open Shop Teams With Under Armour Performance Apparel for a Step-Up in U.S. Open Branded Tennis Wear

If you have a hankering for some US Open '08 gear, take a look at the great new line of US Open branded apparel by Under Armour: performance tees, tanks, long sleeves and shorts for men and women range in prices ranging from $42 to $55 USD. We love cotton but not to play in for long periods of time -- the extra cost for the PolyArmour fabric is worth it. Check out the whole line at US Open Shop. Once on the site, look for the Under Armour items listed under men's and women's performance apparel.

Ginepri keeps HIS cool in Under Armour

While players down south are trying to keep cool in the growing heat, their northern peers are just coming outside to play, bundled up with sweatshirts and wind breakers. Tough way to play but it feels pretty nice to be outdoors again. Here's a solution.

Under Armour seems to get it right when it comes to temperature regulation. Their close fitting thermal grid Cold Gear base (1.0 level works for cool early spring conditions) keeps you comfortably warm and unrestricted despite winter's last licks. Put one on under your tennis shirt and you can shed the bulky layers. A men's UA Cold Gear base crew 1.0 runs $39.99 USD.

For warmer settings, our most aggressive players like the UA Men's Heat Gear Edge Knit short that runs $39.99. It hosts side mesh zones for increased ventilation, and we love the terry-like PolyArmour lined pockets for drying off hands between points. The lightweight Heat Gear Edge Sleeveless Tee is $39.99. Both the top and short offer UPF 30 protection from the sun. Nice bonus! The Ventilator Cap pictured here on Ginepri is $23.99. The cap releases moisture and heat, something cotton caps out there don't do.

You can still find Cold Gear on the Under Armour site. The Heat Gear tops and shorts are available in a variety of colors at: www.underarmour.com or Tennis-Warehouse.com.