2009 holiday gift guide

While the tennis season is fully wrapped (and the exhibition season in full swing), TSF is ready to take a break for the holiday season. But before we do, it’s more than necessary to point out a few items (and looks) that you must take a peek at for the holidays. It’s our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, and we hope you enjoy it…

First off is the Barricade L3 tennis racquet (and bag!) from adidas. That’s right, adidas. If you love to be matching in all things, then pick up this combo (in stores or online for $185) so that you can sport the adidas stripes throughout your entire game. As for adidas tennis balls, those still don’t exist. DIY, here you come.

While we love the chic look of the adidas racquet and bag, nothing beats the tennis fashion of Polo Ralph Lauren this holiday season. While the brand may not have a tennis pro to flaunt their pretty product around the globe, tennis fashion expert Dana Mason calls the fall/winter line her best seller in the store.

“I love navy and there’s a lot of that in this line. The dresses are very fitted and short with a deep v-neck,” Mason explains. “It’s all perfect for winter vacationing.”

Two of our winter faves are the Tonal Diagonal Stripe Polo (pictured below), which is on sale online right now for just $49 and the Ralph Lauren Matchpoint Dress, with much inspiration from the US Open line in which Polo took ball boy/girl (and lines person) fashion to new heights. (Dress can be seen after the cut).

Read more on our holiday recommendations after the cut.

If you want to cuddle up this winter, there are plenty of options for you. Serena Williams and Monica Seles both released books earlier this year, while Andre Agassi’s autobiography has been hailed as one of the best sports books ever. Meanwhile, L. Jon Wertheim’s Strokes of Genius is a fine read on Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (based in the 2008 Wimbledon final). And though it hasn’t gotten much ink in the States, a book on Rafa is out called The Biography by Tom Oldfield.

Here’s a look at the Matchpoint Dress from Polo.

We can’t get through the holiday season without mentioning our fabulous friends over at Loup, the clothing line we featured back in September that carries ultra-chic urban work out gear. Designer Danielle Ribner said the company is looking forward to growth that includes a brand-new online store. “We are really excited to be able to ship Loup across the country,” Ribner said. “Especially because we have gotten so many requests lately.”

Another company we wrote about earlier in the year, Sequen, is gearing up for a fabulous holiday season. The animal-print tennis balls are perfect stocking stuffers, and owner Jennifer Baker says they’re giving special attention to their online customers this season. “We’re sending [cans of balls] out for Christmas with a Leopard Gift Bag, tissue and a personalized card!” The perf gift, safari style.

We can’t go without mentioning a little glam and glitter this holiday season, either. Dana Mason swears by her glam and glit at Whak Sak, a tennis bag company based out of Las Vegas. These bags can be toted around by tennis-playing females (or males!) from 8 to 88 years old, and come in four different sizes including the Baby Sak, which was recently featured in Shape Magazine. Our holiday favorite? The Blue Martini Whak Sak. Just the right shade of blue to keep the winter ice crystals from freezing to your bag.

And if you gents feel shorted on our guide, don’t forget about Philly Phaithful, which is running a special holiday (surprise!) which features a bundle of shirts for banging prices. We love the “American Dream”, which takes a crack at the Dallas Cowboys with wonderfully t-shirt imagery. Tis the season, y’all!

It’s impossible to forget one of our on-going favorites, Stick It Wear. The company continues to churn out some great stuff, and recently released this new tee design. Go vintage this holiday season? The “Our Savior” design featuring Jimmy Connors seems like a great fit to us.

(adidas image via adidas.com; polo photos provided; agassi photo via amazon.com; sequen photo via sequen.com; phaithful image via phillyphaithful.com; SIW photo via stickitwear.com)