What Jewellery Was Worn at Wimbledon and the 2026 Tennis Season: A Brand-Building Lesson for Independent Jewellers

Tennis and jewellery have a long shared history. The "tennis bracelet" itself takes its name from a tennis court: Chris Evert stopped play at the US Open to retrieve a diamond line bracelet that had slipped off her wrist, and the name stuck to the style for good (the date is usually given as 1987, though Evert's own publicist places it at 1978). Andre Agassi wore diamond earrings on court in the 1990s.

Both watches and jewellery have been part of the sport's visual language for decades — Rolex has been the official timekeeper of Wimbledon since 1978 and the Australian Open since 2008, and Swiss watchmaker Ebel pioneered direct player sponsorships in the 1980s with Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Andre Agassi.

What changed in 2026 is the scale and intent. Jewellery — necklaces, earrings, cuffs, bespoke suites — now drives as much courtside coverage as timepieces do, and players arrive in layered chains, diamond earrings and sculptural gold before they ever pick up a racquet. Luxury houses have understood the visual logic of it: athletes draped in diamonds against pristine whites, photographed by the world's press.

Who Wore What in 2026 — The Receipts

Here is the 2026 season, piece by piece, in the player's own words and the press's reporting.

Aryna Sabalenka — French Open, Paris, and Wimbledon, London

Sabalenka set the tone twice in 2026. At the French Open, she wore layered necklaces and earrings from New York jeweller Material Good, reportedly valued at close to $148,000; one piece allegedly carried three strands totalling roughly 200 carats of garnets alongside 23 carats of diamonds, and she said the styling was meant to go further still — Material Good sent three layered necklaces, and she dropped one because it was probably too much.

At Wimbledon, she returned with a bespoke yellow-gold suite from the same jeweller, inspired by the grass courts and her birthstone, emerald: a necklace of brown diamonds accented with heart-shaped emerald charms, paired with coordinating earrings and an anklet, all worn against a minimalist white dress.

Naomi Osaka — Wimbledon 2026, London

Naomi Osaka wore diamond earrings and bracelets from Mikimoto — the Japanese house founded on cultured pearls — paired with a delicate kanzashi hair ornament and a custom all-white kimono by Tokyo designer Hana Yagi. The kimono carried a cherry-blossom theme with embroidered cranes, a nod to Osaka's Japanese heritage, and the look referenced traditional ceremonial dress. Tellingly, the Mikimoto diamonds stayed on through the entire match while the kimono and kanzashi gave way to her Nike kit — the jewellery was the constant.

Mirra Andreeva — French Open 2026, Paris

A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust for the trophy presentation, after winning the women's singles title at 19. A classic dress watch rather than an ultra-light technical piece — a deliberately elegant choice for the moment.

Mirra Andreeva, French Open 2026, Paris. Source: Rolex/Antoine Couvercelle

A few patterns sit underneath the season:

• The most-discussed pieces were bespoke, not catalogue. Sabalenka's grass-court suit and her garnet strands were made for the moment, around her birthstone and the tournament's colours.

• Narrative beat carat weight. Osaka's Mikimoto pearls drew coverage because they sat inside a story — a gown built from upcycled vintage kimonos and a shiromuku wedding dress, referencing Japanese ceremonial dress.

• Smaller and independent makers held their own. At Roland-Garros, the courtside crowd reached for independents like F.P. Journe and Gerald Charles rather than only the obvious heritage names — pieces that signal knowledge rather than spending.

Moments like Wimbledon don't announce themselves twice. Our newsletter flags the cultural windows worth planning a jewellery launch around — before they arrive.

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