Jannik Sinner has been a Nike man since 2022, and he’s proud of it. How will we know? Well, he told us himself. “Nike has been really good at understanding me,” he said in a recent interview with the english gq. “They know what I like and what I don’t.”
During Sunday’s Wimbledon men’s final, this relationship was on full display. On Sinner’s feet was the Nike GP Challenge 1.5, a pair of hard-court tennis shoes built for fast, aggressive movements that helped him win Wimbledon for the second year in a row. There’s an Air Zoom unit in the forefoot to add a little pop to your first step, another in the heel for support, and a sturdy plastic plate through the midfoot to keep things nice and stable when moving from side to side. Webbing around the eyestays keeps everything locked down, while extra rubber around the toe is designed to take proper beating.
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In other words: this is a very serious tennis shoe for very serious tennis players. And you can buy a pair right now. Not now of a sinner couple.
That’s because the Italian Pro’s GP Challenge 1.5 is player exclusive – known as “PE” in sneakerhead parlance. Although it’s based on the same silhouette you can pick up from the Swoosh, her version comes in a special white and green color combo that was made just for her. There is also a custom silver plate on the tongue that alludes to his Wimbledon win last year. Now that he’s gone and won it again, it’s an even bigger flex.
Of course, PE in sports is nothing new. Brands have been creating custom colorways for their biggest athletes for years. But when the color in question looks so clean, and Sinner wore it to win her Wimbledon title, it’s a little hard not to own it.
The bad news is that his PE isn’t ready to catch on yet—and may never be. Good news? Regular GP Challenge 1.5 Is Available. It won’t come in the Jannik Sinner colorway or silver tongue plate, but the Air Zoom sole, stability technology and all the other good stuff is there.
This story was originally published on British GQ.
