PAT CASH was one of the sporting icons on the 1980’s, but Wimbledon legend Pat Cash today put himself to the heart of modern tennis fashion, after being named as a new face of ellesse.
Cash wore the stylish Italian sportswear brand when he won the Wimbledon boy’s title in 1982 and will now work closely with current players Tommy Haas and Elina Svitolina, who wear ellesse clothing on the ATP and WTA tours.
Cash said: “It’s great to join ellesse and I can’t wait to work with the brand to help develop and promote their fantastic clothing. Sportswear has evolved a lot since my early playing days, but ellesse remains a top player in tennis and I’m proud to join them at an exciting time for the brand.
“Tennis clothing these days is a long way better than it used to be. It’s breathable, it dries quickly. In my day we’d have quite thick shirts that the more you sweat, the hotter it got. You’d be carrying around kilos of water in your outfit. ellesse’s new gear is a fantastic combination of great style and practically.”
Cash, who twice won the Davis Cup with Australia, believes it would be interesting to see how the current stars of world tennis would handle equipment and sportswear from previous decades.
He said: “There’s quite a lot of talk about the current crop of players being the best ever. They’re the best at the moment, but the game changes and it evolves. The players of today couldn’t possible do the same shots with the equipment of 30 or 40 years ago. With wooden rackets, certain players just couldn’t hit those shots, and probably the other way around. Is it more skilful to hit a ball with the really modern equipment and big rackets or the small wooden rackets? Maybe the older players were more skilful.”
Cash will also wear ellesse clothing for his playing commitments, including his match against John McEnroe at the Statoil Masters this evening.
He said: “I’m still playing the legends events and the Masters events and I’m enjoying it. I won the US Open last year and I’ve won a bunch of Wimbledon titles. I still love getting out there and it’s an honour to be playing the other legends of the game. It’s competitive but it’s a lot of fun.”
The addition of Cash further strengthens ellesse’s position in professional tennis, having returned to the top level of the sport last year, through apparel sponsorship deals with Grand Slam semi-finalist Haas and rising WTA star Svitolina.
Cash said: “I’m looking forward to working closely with Tommy Haas and Elina Svitolina next season, passing on my experience where possible. Elina has been a very exciting player to watch on the WTA Tour this year, and she’s definitely a hot prospect in the women’s game.
“2015 also looks set to be a big year for Tommy Haas, as he comes back from the shoulder injury which has troubled him this season. He’s been a consistent performer on the men’s circuit over the last 18 years and he is a great personality to have representing ellesse.”
A brand rich with tennis history, ellesse was also previously worn by Grand Slam champions including Chris Evert, Boris Becker, Guillermo Vilas and Goran Ivanisevic.
Marco Ellerker, Global Brand President of ellesse said: “2015 promises to be an exciting season for ellesse as we continue to develop our global presence in tennis. Pat has been a friend of the brand for many years and he is somebody who embodies the ellesse way of playing and enjoying tennis. We are delighted to have him in our team, working alongside Tommy Haas and Elina Svitolina.”
About ellesse:
ellesse is an Italian brand synonymous with fashion, lifestyle and sport. Founded by Leonardo Servadio in Perugia in 1959, the brand went on to dominate the ski slopes and then tennis courts with its distinctive style and innovative approach to manufacturing. The immense success of ellesse in winter sports clothing provided a passport to expand the brand and transfer the design philosophy into the equally prestigious world of tennis. By the 1980s, ellesse was a major player on the world stage with several Grand Slam champions including Chris Evert, Boris Becker, Pat Cash and Guillermo Vilas wearing ellesse on the court. ellesse sponsored the New York marathon from 1984-1986 as well as the legendary Ferrari F1 team. A collaboration with design duo Eley Kishimoto in 2005 put ellesse back at the cutting edge of design. ellesse celebrated 50 years of style in 2009 and is now distributed in over 40 countries around the world. The brand is represented on the ATP and WTA tennis tours, through sponsorship deals with Grand Slam semi-finalist Tommy Haas and rising WTA star Elina Svitolina. To find out more visit: www.ellesse.com
Topics: Elina Svitolina, ellesse, Pat Cash, Tennis, Tennis News, Tommy Haas
AUZZIE GREAT @TheRealPatCash TO WORK WITH @TommyHaas13 & @ElinaSvitolina #ELLESSE CLOTHING DEAL- http://t.co/SbWpZ5Mi57 #tennis @ellesse
RT @10sBalls_com: AUZZIE GREAT @TheRealPatCash TO WORK WITH @TommyHaas13 & @ElinaSvitolina #ELLESSE CLOTHING DEAL- http://t.co/SbWpZ5Mi57 #…