The desire to innovate tennis accessories has led two relatively new companies to focus on tennis bags and two long-standing brands to push toward fresh bag designs. With technological improvements across the industry, whether in rackets or sneakers, the newfound focus on bag features, materials and styles highlight a growing consumer base.

London-based Epirus used a lifestyle-focused tennis bag collection in 2019 to help spearhead a new push in the space. Brands such as Wilson and Dunlop created approaches that strayed from designs of old, giving customers new options for the street and in styles not overly emblazoned with brightness and logos. And Geau Sport launched in December 2020 with a technical-first approach to the bag.

“While some tennis equipment had made huge advancements during my (20-year tennis) hiatus, I noticed tennis bag designs had remained relatively unchanged,” says Chris Pageau, Geau Sport founder. “I saw an opportunity to change that and make the bag a coveted piece of gear.”

The former top-ranked junior player who had professionally designed hundreds of products in an outdoor industry focused on a flow of new bag and pack designs, says that not only does the typical tennis bag offer an unattractive style that prominently displays a large logo, but is can lack quality materials. “I selected materials that you would normally see on a premium hiking backpack or premium travel bag,” he says. “Those materials need to achieve the rare combination of being both lightweight and durable.” Using 420D polyester ripstop and 500D Cordura, the Geau Sport bag brings a technical flare to the space, but in a tennis-specific design and modern silhouette.

Alan Kelly, Epirus co-founder, created for customers who want a functional tennis bag without it looking like one. “We’re doing something completely different to other brands,” he says. “We don’t focus on the mass market, instead we make lifestyle bags for working professionals who play tennis. That’s a big mindset shift to how traditional tennis brands think about their products.”

The Epirus brand aims to “make timeless bags that wouldn’t go out of style,” having kept the same collections as it started with, simply adding customer-driven improvements as it goes. “Some Epirus customers use their bags exclusively for tennis, but most use them for a combination of tennis, work, the gym, fitness classes and travel,” Kelly says. “We even have customers who don’t play tennis at all, they just love the aesthetic.”

But it isn’t just the small brands making a difference. Credit Wilson with approaching a new aesthetic for the large brands and Dunlop with pioneering new styles. The long backpack style from Dunlop—a backpack where the entirety of the racket, not just the head, fully fits inside the pack—originally launched in 2019 and has now grown to multiple styles. And more are on their way.

“Originally, the bag was designed to make city commutes more convenient with all your gear,” says Kimberly Pettit, Dunlop spokesperson. “The bag in and of itself isn’t bulky and offers complete coverage of the racket to keep all your gear safe on a train or in any weather condition.”

Having something on the market that nobody offers not only helps set Dunlop apart from competition but gives consumers knowledge that the brand puts them in the forefront when designing, Pettit says. “Before we release new bags, we make sure every region has input on what their market is seeing in regard to color, styles and trends in order to make sure the upcoming line fits the needs of our growing consumer base.”

Pettit says consumers have proven open to trying new things, especially if they perceive the innovation and functionality fits their lifestyle. “The long backpack is a great example as far as functionality, especially with travel, and the innovation has been a success,” she says.

Having options has led Wilson to new places in tennis bags, with a women’s-specific line, lifestyle-focused designs and even a unique roll-top option that converts from a traditionally sized backpack to one that can cover the entirety of a racket. “We aspire to be the go-to tennis lifestyle brand,” says Michael Schaeffer, Wilson racquet sport product line manager. “This means that it is critical players can find products from Wilson that represent a lifestyle aesthetic.”

Leaning on focus groups with players from around the country, Wilson also brings in the brand’s top apparel designers to help select colors and fabrics when creating bags. With a goal, Schaeffer says, of wanting to have versatility with their bag line and maximizing space usage, designers enjoy getting into the mindset of their players to create something for every type of consumer. To find that next innovation, Schaeffer says Wilson takes inspiration from non-tennis industries, such as the outdoors and camping and even motorcycles to see how they can adapt new technologies and functionality into tennis bags.

“Consumers are demanding more of their products today,” he says. “Demanding more options to better suit their unique needs. This has led to an expansion of offerings and more unique silhouettes. We now have a bag range that can suit all different players based on their product needs, style preference and preferred travel method to the court.”

Expect the push in tennis bags to remain. Wilson continues to roll out new styles and has a focus on sustainability with pattern design, material selection and waste reduction, while Dunlop will continue to add new price points across the lines while introducing new colors and patterns. Epirus continues to produce its popular Everyday collection and after Geau Sport’s first batch of Axiom backpacks and bags sold out four times faster than expected, the replenished inventory is set to sell out again, leading Pageau to plan for a spring 2022 launch of a more evolved line with a new colorway option and a design for women.

“We’ve seen a number of new brands launch in the past few years, each doing something a little different and appealing to a different audience,” Kelly says. “It’s great to see more innovation in the tennis accessories and apparel space. We believe a rising tide raises all ships.”