Jordan Thompson embraces personal style at home tennis slam

When you see Australian tennis star Jordan Thompson pottering around the grounds of the Australian Open in Melbourne between interviews and photo shoots, he looks more like a runner than a tennis player in his New Balance gear. That explains part of the reason why world number 27 was so enthralled when the Boston-based brand made Thompson one of the first New Balance tennis athletes in mid-2014.

I used to do cross country, Thompson tells me before the tournament. New Balance had incredible runners. (I thought) they should turn that into tennis.

Thompson, New Balance's longest-tenured tennis athlete, believes they've succeeded. It gets better and better year after year, he says. A lot of people come to me and ask how New Balance became one of the best (in tennis). They are the best. It's been night and day since we started.

Thompson's off-court style maintains the same running vibe he's long exuded, because that's what he's comfortable with. He likes the look of ankle socks with lightly laced runners. And the shorter the shorts, the better, he says. “I just like to look like a runner,” he says. And when I go running, I sometimes wear a singlet and the hat backwards.

< position="inread" progressive="" ad-id="article-0-inread" aria-hidden="true" role="presentation"/>

MORE: New Balance unveils Coco Gauff's second signature shoe, the Coco CG2

Thompson's hat is always backwards, whether he's running or on the tennis court. I always say: if a hat doesn't look good from the front, I can take it off backwards, he jokes. I feel more comfortable, it always suits me with the long hair and I look like a runner.

For the 2025 Australian Open, the tennis ball hat will be yellow, matching a yellow shirt for sun-drenched matches and a dark green top for when the sun is not threatening. And since Thompson can't wear his favorite PVLSE running shoes on the court, he opts for the Fresh Foam CT Rally, touting its durability that has only improved since his early days with the company. “I spoke and they listened,” he says. I am grateful for that.

When it comes to choosing his field clothes, Thompson isn't picky about colors, but he does have strong opinions about sizes. For shorts he wants them short. And he wants a tight top. When I wear a baggy top I sweat profusely, so if it's baggy it gets heavy, he explains. If it's tight, I don't feel like it's restrictive. Other guys feel the opposite, but for me it's much more comfortable.

He still has a few favorites from his archives of kits over the years. In 2017, he was able to don a colorful kit called the green Kermit socks at the US Open, and he still has a photo of himself from the 2018 Roland Garros on his wall at home. “I think this was one of the best shirts I've worn,” he says. Another top pick came in Australia last year, where he appreciated the navy blue top with backwards navy blue hat, something he wore during the great Australian summer and then when he won his first title in Los Cabos.

MORE: New Balance embraces lifestyle tennis with T500 shoe

With only six professional players on the New Balance tennis roster, Thompson says the group feels close. He remembers when the brand signed Tommy Paul and the American came in asking for the Jordan Thompson shoe. Now it has overtaken me in the rankings and it has become the Tommy Paul shoe, he says. Thompson recounts a time when he forgot clothes for a photo shoot in New York and Paul told him to go through his locker and borrow everything he needed. We are such a close-knit and small community, Thompson says, but we are a happy community.

Evan Zeder, New Balance director of global sports marketing for tennis, says a long history is part of the brand's plan. Jordan is one of the most amiable, great guys and he has a connection with the Australian fans, Zeder says of a player the brand recently cut. Jordan has his highest ranking in 10 years. There is just excitement because of the authenticity (of the relationship).

With nearly 11 years of history with the brand, its stable of lifestyle sneakers is starting to grow just as much as its running shoe collection. A recent pickup of a T-shirt with all the colors of the 550 basketball style on it has inspired his latest efforts. There are so many different colors of the 550, so when I got that shirt, I said I had to start a collection of the 550s, he says. They are sick.

But for a running fan who says he still wears them 80% of the time, his favorite non-running sneaker off the court is still the New Balance 480. He chooses plain white because it goes with everything, especially bright yellow. hat worn backwards.