Does anyone at Nick Kyrgios' new brand watch tennis?

Unpacking its hilariously bad press release and the proliferation of shitty tennis brands. Plus, a few quick gift recs.

Dec 01, 2025

Last week I received a press release in my inbox announcing Nick Kyrgios’ new “ownership” of Stack Athletics, a supposedly “fast-rising” sports apparel brand no one has ever heard of despite being around since 2020. The word ownership is doing a lot of confusing work here—what does it mean, in non-press release terms? Is Kyrgios really running the business? Did he buy it? No, he just has a partial stake in it.

However, he will be tasked with “design direction, capsule storytelling, athlete collaborations and the evolution of Stack’s signature aesthetic across tennis, pickleball, padel, and lifestyle apparel.” All of which could just mean he’ll be a brand ambassador, we’ll have to wait and see.

Upgrade to paid

But I found the press release amusing, as it reveals so much about the state of the crowded tennis apparel space today and the people who are largely filling it up with junk. Whoever wrote it (was it sister ChatGPT?) seems to know nothing about tennis, or thinks the people receiving it are so dumb they’ll be moved by all the hyperbole, missing the errors amidst the rapture.

For starters, the headline of the press release refers to Kyrgios as the “World’s Biggest Tennis Player.” I know PR people love an exaggeration but this one stretches so far it might pull something. Kyrgios is certainly more well-known outside the tennis bubble for his showman-meets-scary on-court behavior (which overshadows his innate talent), but he hasn’t played consistently in years. I think other active players like Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Naomi Osaka, and Jannik Sinner might just rival him.

The release then goes on to say that Kyrgios’ new role begins at a time when he is “returning to some of tennis’ biggest stages.” What are these grand stages, you might be wondering? Could it be the Australian Open, which he’s said he’s hoping to play in January? No, it’s two exhibitions—The Atlanta Cup and The Garden Cup. Oh and, at The Atlanta Cup, says the release, he’ll face off against “Wimbledon semifinalist” Ben Shelton. Yep, they got him confused with Taylor Fritz, who made the semis at Wimbledon this year. Due diligence, I long for you.

A Wimbledon to remember

Hard Court

Jul 12

Read full story

Idiocy aside, I was still curious to learn what this brand looked like—could it be a cool new entrant to the space or simply more crapola no one wants?

In the press release, Kyrgios is quoted saying, “We’re building a brand with real personality.” Now, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that this personality will be unlocked next year once their new creative director (Kyrgios, lol) settles in, but right now the clothing looks like cheaply made Amazon workout wear with corny Satisfy-esque slogans like, “Where tennis players go to die.” It feels like more shit from people who are mostly eager to cash in on the tennis boom without caring about quality or the actual needs of the category. They’re hoping, I’m sure, that a “real tennis player” will help give them legitimacy, but I’m not sure the semi-retired and problematic Kyrgios is the best choice, nor do I think any famous face can make a low-quality brand more appealing in the long run (just look at Nike’s faltering tennis market share despite having Sinner and Alcaraz as ambassadors).

All of this led me to wonder what tennis brands you guys actually like to wear? Is there anyone you think is doing something truly different? For me, the biggest standout is Spence, but I also like what Wilson has done over the last few years and, for women, FP Movement. You can find some decent pieces from Adidas as well. Let me know what you’re into in the comments!

How FP Movement’s early bet on tennis popularity paid off

Hard Court

Sep 29

Read full story

A few good gifts

I’m not doing a true gift guide this year but if you’re still feeling trigger happy from Black Friday, I came across a few cool tennis-related items you might like to gift or get…all of which are high quality and, in many cases, on sale.