6 best tennis player tattoos ft. Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini & more
Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini and Marketa Vondrousova are among some of the standout names when one thinks of tennis and tattoos. There is, however, an increasing number of the players taking a fancy to ink.
Players are now celebrating their big wins with new tattoos or simply announcing their love for the sport and their other interests.
Whatever be the case, it makes for an interesting study on expression and style. There’s plenty to uncover when it comes to tattoos on the tennis court, but we have listed here some of the best from the current crop:
#6 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz’s latest tattoo might be one connected closest to his tennis. The Spaniard, who recently completed the Channel Slam by winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back, celebrated his triumph in Paris by getting inked.
Alcaraz got the iconic Eiffel Tower tattooed on his left leg along with the date of his finals victory — 09.06.24. He had come back from two sets to one down against Alexander Zverev in the memorable summit clash, which he closed out 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
This was not the first time that the Spaniard had commemorated a Grand Slam win with a tattoo. He also has his 2022 US Open victory date tattooed on his arm, but the Eiffel Tower added a special touch to his latest one.
#5 Marketa Vondrousova
Much like Carlos Alcaraz, Marketa Vondrousova celebrated her Grand Slam win with a tattoo.
The Czech, who lifted her maiden and till date only Grand Slam trophy at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships last year, got a small “W” tattooed at an undisclosed part of her body along with the date of her finals win over Ons Jabeur.
What makes the tattoo extra special you ask? The answer is Vondrousova’s sister also getting a matching tattoo with her to celebrate the big day.
Vondrousva has had a particular liking for tattoos. She addressed her love for ink an interview with BBC, saying she got her first one at the age of 16 for her birthday.
“I actually go the first one when I was about 16,” Marketa Vondrousova had said. “I got it for my birthday. Then, I don’t know, I just started feeling like I wanted more. Now, it’s also art for me, and I appreciate people who do that. “I have three or four [tattoo artists] that I’m visiting often. A few are in Prague and most of them are girls!”
#4 Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini also sports a few interesting tattoos, including a compass and a sun on his arm.
It is one of his latest additions, a stylised monkey, however, which has caught the most attention. The crouching monkey with abstract designs resembling the hide of a big cat like leopards is as unique as tennis players’ tattoos can get.
While the Italian has not spoken about the idea behind the tattoo or its meaning, he has spoken about his love for ink in the past:
“Yeah, I have quite a lot [of tattoos]. My grandma is not happy about it but I think I have 11. I have a feeling that it’s going to be more soon but yeah, I just love them so can't help it,” he had responded to a fan’s query on social media earlier this year.
#3 Aryna Sabalenka
Animal tattoos are always intriguing, but they work even better when the inked animal resembles the bearer’s own personality.
Case in point: Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian’s ferocious tiger tattoo could not be more appropriate given her own gung-ho brand of tennis. Sabalenka is no short of a tiger on court, waiting to pounce on every ball like its prey.
The former World No. 1 has herself spoken about keeping the inner “tiger” alive, often even crediting her success to it:
“I think I was right when I did this tattoo of a tiger. I was fighting today like a tiger,” she said during an on-court interview at this year’s BNP Paribas Open.
#2 Nick Kyrgios
Some tattoos take more commitment than others and few would have taken more dedication or ink than Nick Kyrgios’ full-back Pokemon-themed tattoo.
The Aussie sports many tattoos, but it was this masterpiece featuring as many as nine of these iconic creatures that takes the cake. Most of the Pokemons in the all-back piece are from Gen 1 and that’s where Kyrgios’ heart lies:
“Blastoise is smack bang in the middle. He's my favorite Pokémon. And then obviously Charizard, Gyarados. Can't really go past those. I feel like worldwide, if people know Pokémon, they know who those Pokémon are,” Nick Kyrgios told GQ in a 2023 interview.
#1 Lorenzo Musetti
Some tattoos reflect a part of a player’s personality like Aryna Sabalenka, others their love for a fictional creature as in the case of Nick Kyrgios.
And then there are those that are so personal that no they simply cannot be imitated. Such is the case of Lorenzo Musetti, who got his own heartbeat tattooed on his arm in the form of an ECG signal.
“It's my personal heartbeat, like very personal, [it's] mine,” Lorenzo Musetti told the ATP Tour. “My uncle is a cardiologist, I took one set of the frequency and it was this one.”
And if that wasn’t special enough already, he added a tennis racket in the middle. Was there ever a better way to announce to that world your love for the sport?