Andrey Rublev leads “reborn” K-Swiss back into its tennis era: “It’s only a win for me”

NEW YORK—Andrey Rublev turned heads within the tennis world when the world No. 6 and American heritage brand K-Swiss announced a multi-year partnership.

Not because of Rublev, who has been out of an apparel contract since the end of 2022 and wearing his own clothing brand, Rublo, ever since. Regular Style Points readers will have already spotted his new shoes on Baseline during the clay season, too.

No, the bigger surprise came from the American sportswear company: A brand once deeply entrenched in tennis, K-Swiss made its most significant tennis signing in years by adding Rublev to an eclectic roster that includes Cameron Norrie, Zhang Zhizhen, Yulia Putintseva, Liudmila Samsonova and more.

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“You want the honest answer? They made a really great offer for me, and from my perspective, also for my brand too,” Rublev told Baseline ahead of the US Open.

The 26-year-old launched Rublo at the start of 2023, after Nike pulled its business from Russia and subsequently opted not to renew Rublev when his contract came to an end. Rather than task his agent Galo Blanco with hunting down another deal—especially at a time when, by Rublev’s own admission, business opportunities weren’t exactly throwing themselves at him—he chose to create his own line.

“For a long time I wanted to do something on my own, that’s only mine,” Rublev explained, this time speaking to press after his first-round win in Flushing Meadows. “And I did it and it started to go really well, and then the offer came from K-Swiss which only benefits me.

“So why not? I still have my brand, and the rest it's only a win for me.”

Rublev’s brand immediately made a splash for its clean and trendy on-court designs, with Rublo landing on Grand Slam style lists alongside names like Nike and Adidas in the year and a half since launch. Off the court, the clothes showcased his personal style with signature oversized and cozy streetwear-inspired fits.

After almost two years of approving every detail of what he wears, from the headband down to his branded socks, Rublev aims to be just as involved in picking out his new apparel—with the partnership also set to feature an upcoming K-Swiss x Rublo capsule collection.

“I’m still choosing my clothes, so that’s the good part,” Rublev confirmed. “And also I can still send ideas to my own designers and they will make it for me.

“Of course, the tennis stuff will be now with K-Swiss. But other stuff is staying the same…”

Launched in Los Angeles in 1966 by a pair of Swiss brothers, Art and Ernie Brunner, K-Swiss revolutionized the sport with the creation of the world’s first all-leather tennis shoe, the K-Swiss Classic. Tennis’s biggest names including Venus Williams, Anna Kournikova, and Mike and Bob Bryan have worn the 5 Stripes on and off court over the years.

Now, K-Swiss is in the midst of a brand “rebirth” after being acquired by China's Xtep Group (also Palladium, Supra, Saucony) in 2019. In the past year alone, the company has unveiled a new executive team, announced plans for a new headquarters and revealed a series of new shoe designs. A strategic partnership with Formula 1’s McLaren team and a push into pickleball have kept the brand on trend, and by signing the sport’s “sentimental favorite” Rublev, K-Swiss is hoping to stay top of mind in tennis, too.

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All of those behind-the-scenes changes are what helped tip the scales for Rublev, who said he's eager to help guide the brand’s next chapter in tennis.

“The other big reason why I decided is because they are doing a lot of rebranding right now. So they will do a lot of new stuff, and they are also letting me be a little bit part of it,” Rublev revealed. “So yeah, I also wanted to challenge myself, and hopefully together we can bring it to a good level.”

No. 6 seed Rublev will take on Arthur Rinderknech in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.