John Isner and Diego Schwartzman put on an entertaining display at the Italian Open last month, pairing up in the doubles to make it all the way to the final. Unfortunately for them, that’s as far as they got. However, the contrasts in the style of play and height were two of the big reasons it was so entertaining to watch. Diego stands at 5’ 7’’ while John stands at 6’ 10’’. One is a grinder from the baseline while the other pushes opponents around with his big serve.

It’s not all differences with these two. Although it may not have been so obvious to the fans watching, they do have one very important thing in common. Both players are sponsored by the iconic brand, Fila. It is not known if it was the brand that got them to play together in Rome. It was wonderful exposure either way. I for one, found myself checking out Diego and John’s kits at Tennis Warehouse, and contemplating getting myself some Fila! It’s definitely a brand on my list.

Full disclosure, I’m also a big Bjorn Borg fan. For those out there that are Bjorn Borg fans, you probably remember his awesome Fila outfits in the 70s. It was Borg that helped Fila become a global brand back then, much like Michael Jordan helped Nike become a global brand in the 90s. If you’re looking for that retro vibe, you can still get yourself into a retro-style zip.

Also, it’s not just the boys that are sporting Fila nowadays. Plenty of WTA ladies are seen wearing Fila on the WTA tour. Top players Karolina Pliskova and Sofia Kenin are both sponsored by FILA. Not surprisingly, the brand is both fashionable and functional.

It hasn’t been all success for Fila though, in the late 80s and 90s it fell out of favor in the tennis world. Fila’s resurgence in tennis started with the signing of Jennifer Capriati to a three-year deal in 1999. Coincidentally, and unbeknownst to Fila, these would be the most productive years of Capriati’s career. She would win three Grand Slams between 2001 and 2002 – all while wearing Fila!

At the time of the signing, Fila framed the relationship as both making a comeback. Jennifer Capriati was amid getting back to the top of the tour, while Fila was trying to get back to where it was in the late seventies. Little did they know her second act would mean reaching the very top of women’s tennis.

Unfortunately for Fila, they overcommitted to endorsement deals in the early 2000s, and subsequently sold to an American investor group, and eventually, in 2007, to Fila Korea, who was licensed to sell Fila in Korea. All that being said, whether it’s under Italian ownership or Korean ownership, Fila has stayed true to its brand. So, if you’re looking for some pizzazz on the court, head on over to Tennis Warehouse and get yourself into some cool Fila shoes or kits.

Like always, don’t forget to jump on to the TennisPAL app to stay up to date on tennis news, find groups of friends to play with, and get a virtual coach to help with your tennis game.