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The backward cap trend more popular now than ever
20 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
It’s arguable who was the first ATP player to initiate the fashion trend of turning his baseball cap around backwards. Marcelo Rios may have been the first to do it, in the early days of his career in the mid 90s, when he wore a white adidas cap backwards. But Rios eventually dropped the cap and opted to go the ponytail route. Another possible pioneer perhaps in capwear creativity is Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti who won his first ATP title in Bogota in ’95. My memory is foggy but I do seem to remember Lapentti always wearing a white adidas cap backwards.
There is no doubt however about which player made the backward baseball cap a prominent, universally popular trend – Lleyton Hewitt.
Hewitt burst on the scene as a wildcard in the ’97 Australian Open, at age fifteen, losing in the first round to Sergi Bruguera. In January of ’99 Hewitt won Adelaide at age sixteen. For the majority of his career Hewitt has donned the backwards cap except for a few isolated times, such as the year he won Wimbledon, Hewitt went hatless in favor of a Nike sweatband.
Since Hewitt’s influence on ATP headgear took hold in the late 90s, many many players have followed his trend. For example, today there are almost a dozen players sporting the Hewitt look: Tommy Haas, Jack Sock, Rhyne Williams, Jurgen Melzer, Dennis Kudla, Somdev Devvarman, Paolo Lorenzi, Richard Gasquet, Andreas Seppi, Benjamin Becker, Robby Ginepri.
Backwards cap wearing might be at an all time high right now.
Other players in recent years who took the Hewitt look include: Juan Ignacio Chela, Bernard Tomic, Alex Bogomolov Jr, Lukasz Kubot, Guillermo Coria, Rainer Schuettler, and John Isner, however Isner flipped his cap around to the traditional forward style since his Lacoste sponsorship began a couple of years ago.
Even Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will wear their Nike cap backwards in practice sessions.
In Delray Beach, I asked Rhyne Williams if his cap style was any kind of dedication to Hewitt, who he said was one of his big tennis inspirations. “No, not really,” replied the young American. “I’ve done it my whole life. I don’t know, it’s kind of my thing. It’s a lot of people’s thing. I’ve been doing it since I was nine years old.”
Thanks to Hewitt and Rios, and all the junior players around the world, the backwards ballcap trend may be here to stay. Unless some innovative player can find a new, different, functional, and practical way to arrange a hat on his dome.
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Abe Froman · March 3, 2014 at 10:29 am
interesting tidbit there scoop….i personally wear it backwards too (except when it’s really really sunny)….the backward look could be functional as it can sub as a sweat-band (sweat-hat) as well….and from a metaphoric perspective – it could be kinned to ‘rolling up one’s sleeves and getting the hands dirty’….so to speak, etc..
Scoop Malinowski · March 3, 2014 at 10:48 am
It can also be functional as to block the sun from hitting back of neck too Abe ) That’s a good analogy about rolling up the sleeves… The backwards cap has to be one of tennis’ biggest fashion trends, along with Pete Sampras introducing the baggy long shorts and Agassi starting the ill matching & neon color boom which is so prevelant today.
Abe Froman · March 3, 2014 at 11:33 am
interested to find out who started tbis trend in match play….i think did see a swedish player in the late 80s / early 90s donning the flipped cap..
Abe Froman · March 3, 2014 at 11:55 am
scoop, IMO – sampras’s get-ups were too golfie and agassi’s were just too loud (boderline flaming – esp. with that pink spandex crap) LOL…..however, sampras and most of his peers in that generation (except agassi) could be players who would be above suspicion in terms of juicing….when did juicing and the suspect of it become so prevalent in tennis ??
Scoop Malinowski · March 3, 2014 at 12:25 pm
I think you speak of Henrik Holm who for some reason cut off the bill of his cap. That tennis fashion statement did not take any root at all though )
Scoop Malinowski · March 3, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Other prominent players with backward caps: Nicolas Kiefer, Andrei Pavel.
Lang · March 3, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Haas said he got it from Nick Bolletieri. Blake donned the backwards cap when he was a toddler but I think his dreads came into conflict ;-).
Lang · March 3, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Oh also remember Roddick sporting it as a teenager.
Abe Froman · March 3, 2014 at 1:36 pm
some others i’ve seen backwards….safin, gonzo, massu, ancic, lu, grosjean, zabeleta, roddick, calleri, starace, soeda, bolleli, kendrick, nishikori, mannarino, reister……
Abe Froman · March 3, 2014 at 1:44 pm
actually, i saw melzer and hewitt practice together and hewitt was sporting it but melzer did not wear his…..i guess melzer forgot or (more likely)…didnt wana look like a copycat / poser against rusty lol
Harold · March 3, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Agassi/Sampras just started in London. Agassi back in Nike stable
Scoop Malinowski · March 3, 2014 at 7:28 pm
The real question is WHO actually started this trend? It could be Rios.
Bryan · March 3, 2014 at 8:11 pm
I don’t like the backwards cap thing, though Tommy Haas is one of my faves and he does it every match. Even Jerzy Janowicz did it at the AO this year and he rarely wears hats. When he took off the hat he bounced back to win. Can’t fight the tide, it is what it is.
Reece · March 3, 2014 at 9:30 pm
I seem to remember penfors doing it. That would put him in contention for being the first.
Scoop Malinowski · March 4, 2014 at 8:52 am
Reece, Good call, I do remember that vaguely.
Abe Froman · March 4, 2014 at 10:08 am
@ scoop….backward cap origination could be a mystery……how about the 2-handed backhand ? who invented that clunk ? lol….borg ?….connors ?
Scoop Malinowski · March 4, 2014 at 10:09 am
I think Segura played two hands on both sides.
Abe Froman · March 4, 2014 at 10:11 am
did he ?….then segura’s gay lol
Scoop Malinowski · March 11, 2014 at 11:30 am
Joao Silva and Matt Ebden also wear backwards caps. Kevin Anders also flipped his backwards after he beat Hewitt in Indian Wells after handshake and before wave to fans, I guess it was some kind of tribute for Hewitt.
Abe Froman · March 11, 2014 at 2:44 pm
almost forgot carlos moya lol