A Single Match Played by Chris Evert at the US Open Gave the Tennis Bracelet Its Iconic Name
The tennis bracelet is a timeless symbol of elegance. Sleek and simple, the collection of individual diamonds set into a flexible, linked band has been popular since the 1920s when chic ladies would wear stacks of them on their wrists. Yet, if you were to travel back to the Gatsby era and waltz into a jewelry store and ask to see their tennis bracelet selection, you'd get some odd looks. You see, the tennis bracelet we know and love hasn't always gone by that name.
Originally known as eternity bracelets, the bands didn't pick up their court connotations until women's tennis champion Chris Evert came along. The 18-time Grand Slam champion was known as one of the most stylish women in the sport, and she regularly wore jewelry, including the bracelet that would become her signature.
But she wouldn't become a part of jewelry history until 1987. During one of the matches in that year's US Open, the force of Evert's swing sent her diamond eternity bracelet soaring off of her wrist. The match came to a standstill while a search recovered the piece. The moment created such a spectacle that the style quickly became synonymous with the sport, with fans all over the country seeking out "tennis bracelets" for their own collections.
Of course, tennis has long influenced fashion, from French pro René "The Crocodile" Lacoste whose fashion sense would spawn a worldwide powerhouse brand and the athletic styles that would inspire Coco Chanel, to the celebrity-powered clothing lines from the Williams sisters and collaborations like Roger Federer's Uniqlo set.
Still, it's hard to deny the sheer star-power of Evert's association with the tennis bracelet. In a moment, she took a long=established style and transformed it into something intrinsically and perpetually associated with the sport.
As for the star herself, Evert's given up the habit of wearing the bracelet she made a sporting symbol on the court. When asked by AOL if she still wears a tennis bracelet to play, Evert said, "No, I don't!"
Laughing, she added, "I never got one free tennis bracelet, by the way, and I feel like I kind of had something to do with it! ... I just dropped my bracelet on center court at the US Open and that's when they called it the tennis bracelet."
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