The tennis bracelet is very much back in the spotlight, courtesy of some major style moments at this year’s Wimbledon. Among the players sporting the classic jewel was two-time major winner Coco Gauff, who chose a gold vermeil and sapphire blue crystal tennis bracelet from London-based jeweller Missoma as part of her on-court look designed by New Balance and Miu Miu.Outside Wimbledon’s hallowed courts, the style has also been seen on the wrists of Hailey Bieber, who stacks her Tiffany & Co. versions up the wrist, Meghan Markle, Brooklyn Beckham and Timothée Chalamet.
Timothée Chalamet wears a Reflection de Cartier bracelet at the 2025 Golden Globes. Photo: FilmMagicInterest in the tennis bracelet soared in 2024 with the release of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, the sensual tennis romantic drama starring Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist and Zendaya. The actress’ tennis-themed looks on the film’s press tour prompted a 133 per cent spike in online searches for tennis-style jewellery, according to British jewellery retailer The Diamond Store.
Originally known as a line bracelet or eternity bracelet, the design’s origins stretch back to the Victorian era, when the discovery of major diamond deposits in South Africa in the 1860s flooded the market with stones and made matched diamond jewellery newly accessible.
Annoushka Whoopsie Daisy diamond bangle (right). Photo: Handout
Tennis bracelets came into their own in the 1920s, when advances in metalworking made platinum, a silvery precious metal far stronger than gold, the material of choice for high-end jewellery. It enabled designers to craft settings so fine they were almost invisible, with diamonds sitting flush against one another in an uninterrupted line.
This clean silhouette made it a natural fit for the art deco period, when symmetry and proportion were the hallmarks of design, and the tennis bracelet quickly became a staple of society dressing between the wars. Much like the eternity ring, a continuous band of stones, the tennis bracelet wasn’t short of romantic associations, symbolising enduring love and thus a natural gift for anniversaries and significant milestones.
The tennis bracelet’s sporting nickname came in 1987, when former American tennis player Chris Evert paused a US Open match to retrieve her diamond line bracelet after it flew off her wrist mid-match. The moment was broadcast live and permanently attached the sport’s name to the design.
Chris Evert, pictured in 1978, famously paused a 1987 US Open match when the clasp on her diamond line bracelet broke. Photo: Getty Images
The diamond line remains a jewellery box staple, but modern tennis bracelets are just as likely to feature juicy coloured gemstones, unconventional settings and even alternative metals like titanium.