In 1978, the term “tennis bracelet” was coined after American player Chris Evert was forced to stop play during the US Open after losing the string of diamonds worn around her wrist. And on Tuesday we might have witnessed the invention of the “tennis earring”, after fellow American, Coco Gauff, lost one of her silver Missoma hoops during a match against Dayana Yastremska. In fact, it wasn’t a good day for jewellery and tennis in general (depending on how you look at it) with fellow player Jodie Burrage also accidentally smashing her bracelet and having to stop to pick up the pieces.

Chris Evert wearing her ‘tennis bracelet’ at the 1978 Ladies Singles Final of Wimbledon - Getty

“Coco Gauff wearing our tennis hoops on centre court was honestly surreal,” shares Missoma’s founder, Marisa Hordern. “We never could have predicted we’d have our own ‘Chris Evert moment’ with a new tennis icon, and we don’t think we’ll get over it for a long time! Even if she did lose her jewellery – from her incredible power play – no publicity is bad publicity, and it was an ace moment for us.”

And while Wimbledon has strict rules that dictate that all players must wear all-white, there are no specific requirements for jewellery, meaning that technically anything goes. Not that brand sponsors will feel the same, necessarily, with certain protocols inevitable surrounding what players can and cannot wear while representing a brand – whether it’s down to what they want to promote, or protecting the pieces, with the threat of damage from sweat or sunscreen.

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“At Boodles, we don’t have any specific rules about what a player can or can’t wear,” shares Honour Wainwright, Director of Marketing at Boodles. “Comfort is the most important thing to us, so we’d want to make sure that whatever they wear doesn’t get in the way of their play. We wouldn’t recommend any large stones – purely because they’d be impractical on court (aside from potentially dazzling the opposition, ha!) but a simple tennis bracelet, a pair of earrings or a pendant can add a touch of sparkle without interfering with performance. That said, we create jewellery that’s made to be worn – it’s robust, durable, and designed with real life in mind.”

The carats on court

Coco Gauff

Ever since she stormed onto the tennis scene as a 15-year-old Wimbledon wildcard in 2019, Coco Gauff has become known for her bold fashion choices. Clearly not someone who wants to sacrifice her style on the court, she often wears pieces that are considered more fashion-forward than your classic tennis bracelet.

Coco Gauff Jewelry

Missoma Tennis classic hoop earrings

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Case in point, the instantly recognisable Vivienne Westwood orb choker that she wore layered over another necklace at the Australian Open in 2014. Her most impressive flex? The Olympic rings necklace she’s often spotted wearing while playing – it was a gift from Paris 2024 teammate Desirae Krawczyk.

Grigor Dimitrov

Bulgarian player Dimitrov has become known for his more-is-more approach to accessorising, and in particular, his bracelet stack, which includes a Cartier Juste Un Clou bangle and a cross given to him by his mother.

Grigor Dimitrov jewelry

Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra bracelet in red and black

According to an interview with New York Magazine, Dimitrov always wears a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra bracelet underneath his sweatbands while he plays, as something of a lucky talisman, after it prevented him from injury when he fell while running with his trainer in Paris.

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“We were rushing to cross the street, and I took a sharp left turn on some wet concrete, and I slipped – my whole body was in the air – and crashed on the ground, and one of these charms absorbed the impact on my wrist,” he told the publication. “I still got a scar, but I didn’t need stitches – the doctors said that if I got stitches, I couldn’t play. I won a couple matches at the tournament after that.”

Emma Raducanu

When Emma Raducanu went from unknown Wimbledon wild card to winner of the US Open in just a few months back in 2021, the brand deals – understandably – came flooding in. One of her most famous is with the jeweller Tiffany & Co, whose campaigns she has starred in and whose pieces she wears on and off the court.

Emma Raducanu jewelry

Tiffany Victoria earrings, T1 ring and T1 bangle

Some of her go-to pieces include the diamond and pearl drop studs she debuted during her US Open win, the Victoria pendant and the diamond-encrusted white gold T bangle. During the 2022 Wimbledon championship, she was estimated to have worn £30,000 worth of jewellery from the brand.

Aryna Sabalenka

Current world number one, Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka is almost never seen without her rather glamorous lucky charm – a Cartier Panthère necklace – a nod to her “tiger” nickname and the fact that she was born in the Year of the Tiger (she also has a tiger tattoo on her left forearm).

Aryna Sabalenka jewelry

Cartier Panthère necklace

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One of the jewellery house’s signature pieces, it features an 18ct panther pendant made from yellow-gold, diamond, tsavorite garnet and black lacquer. She also owns another of the brand’s Panthère necklaces, a Valentine’s Day gift from her late partner Konstantin Koltsov, who tragically died in 2024.

Alexander Zverev

Zverev is known for his gold chains, but he won’t reveal their origins - Getty

With his long blonde locks and impressive 6ft 6in height, German player Alexander Zverev was always going to be a hit with the ladies, but the way he often ends up putting his chain necklaces in his mouth during play has set social media alight. His go-to stack of three includes one with his star sign on, Aries, but according to an interview with American Voguein 2016, he won’t reveal their origins.

Katie Boulter

Another rising star of UK tennis, Katie Boulter was announced as one of British fine jewellery house Pragnell’s Rare Jewels ambassadors in 2023.

Katie Boulter jewelry

Pragnell’s Rock Chic diamond hoops

While some players might opt for more delicate or discreet pieces, Boulter is not afraid to go heavy on the bling, including the £10,340 Havana Mirama necklace in 18ct yellow gold, or the £7,260 Rock Chic diamond hoops.

Jessica Pegula

31-year-old American player Jessica Pegula has been a brand ambassador for Californian jewellery house Gorjana since 2023.

Jessica Pegula jewelry

Gorjana Lab grown diamond eternity huggies

For the first day of Wimbledon on Monday, she shared a picture of her strawberry charm necklace from the brand on Instagram, showing her tongue-in-cheek approach to fashion. With multiple piercings, she’s also fond of an ear stack, and is frequently seen layering delicate necklaces during games. Speaking to American Vogue last year, she also revealed that she wears gifts from supporters on the court too: “I get a lot of beaded and braided bracelets. I love wearing pieces that are made by my fans.”

Emma Navarro

24-year-old American player, Emma Navarro, was announced as Canadian jewellery brand Mejuri’s latest brand ambassador just in time for this year’s Wimbledon.

Emma Navarro Jewelry

Mejuri Turquoise huggies and chain stud

Speaking about the partnership, she said: “I’ve always had a deep love for jewellery and put a lot of emphasis into my everyday stack. Mejuri is such an incredible brand with beautiful pieces, and I truly admire what they’re creating.” In her opening game against Czech player Petra Kvitova, she chose to layer two chain necklaces from the brand, as well as multiple bracelets on both wrists and an impressive earring stack.