Fashion bros: Tennis great and rock star join forces

Pat Rafter and Bernard Fanning are going into business together with a new clothing brand that aims to make racquet sportswear cool. See what it looks like and why the grand slam champ reckons tennis has become sexy again.

Tennis legend Pat Rafter and Aussie rock icon Bernard Fanning – that’s a partnership Confidential didn’t see coming with the pair going into business together on new clothing brand, Rallee.

Former world number one Rafter is a co-founder of the brand alongside mates James Gourley and Dave Keam with Fanning and his Powderfinger bandmate Darren Middleton investors.

With the rise of Padel and Pickleball, they identified a gap in the market to make racquet sportswear cool.

“I wouldn’t call myself fashionable,” Rafter told Confidential.

Pat Rafter and business partner Bernard Fanning promoting their new clothing brand Rallee at the Racquet Club in Moore Park. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“Did you ever see me front row at Paris Fashion Week. Roger Federer, you consider him fashionable. I wouldn’t put myself in that category. I like to wear things that are comfortable and practical.”

The edgy brand slogan is ‘functional threads for sinners and set winners’.

“The timing is pretty good, isn’t it? Tennis is even sexy again,” Rafter said.

“I always thought the greatest time of tennis was the Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe era and they were cool, they wore cool things, they acted cool, I loved that time. Then we went through my time and then came the Roger Federer and (Rafael) Nadal) and (Novak) Djokovic sort of era, and Andy Murray, there was this amazing tense rivalry.

“Now you’ve got movies made on tennis a lot, it has become a bit sexy and tennis is really doing well here in Australia as well.”

Bjorn Bjorg and John McEnroe made tennis attire fashionable in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Italian brands Fila (left) and Sergio Tacchini.

Rafter won two grand slams during his illustrious career.

Fanning played a lot of tennis and cricket growing up but conceded Australians were more used to seeing him in his stage gear than a sports kit.

“Any racquet sports are just ready for something new,” Fanning said.

“When I was a kid, fashion and sport didn’t cross over at all and that has changed so much, especially because athletes look so good in clothes.”

Rafter said: “It is pretty funky, there is not a lot on the market that fits that brief in the tennis space. One hundred per cent, I think they’ve found that as a market they could exploit and make it a little bit risky and the tennis market has been on the cusp of that for a little while. We are trying to disrupt the market a bit.”

The new brand’s slogan is: “Functional threads for sinners and set winners.” Picture: Rohan Kelly

The 51-year-old meanwhile will return to the court at the upcoming Australian Open alongside Sam Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt, Alicia Molik, Casey Dellacqua and Mark Philippoussis.

“I don’t normally play but this year I’m playing in the Australia versus the rest of the world,” he said.

“I’m playing with the veterans, the seniors. I hope Lleyton does (smash the other players).”

Originally published as Fashion bros: Tennis great and rock star join forces