We have observed multiple times, tennis players tend to put on their fancy branded jackets as soon as the match finishes. Now is all of this merely to keep them from the cold or they paid specially to do it so as to endorse brands?
(Interestingly, speaking of wearing jackets after matches, and one cannot help but cast one’s mind over the controversy over Roger Federer’s jacket following his 15th Grand Slam win at the 2009 Wimbledon. Want to know what happened there? We will soon update that in another piece!)
We will look into all the possibilities and talk about them right here.
To Keep Them From Getting Cold After the Match
We have a number of sensory receptors on our body and while we are in constant activity like while playing tennis, these receptors are exposed to the specific sensation for a long time. They start to tire out and eventually decrease their activity and therefore we don’t feel the sensation after a point of time.
But as we suddenly stop playing, in some moments, our receptors become active again and we start to feel sensations again.
Also in many places where the pro tour happens, the temperature outside requires a jacket to keep warm especially if players are playing a night match. Players wear a short sleeved shirt and shorts as it is more easy to more around in them but it would naturally feel chillier when they’re done playing and just standing around.
It is also advised that when you sweat so much to not dry yourself against chilly air or against the fan or air conditioner and the best way to cool down is actually naturally. Hence, when you wear a jacket it helps you do that and keeps you from cramping as it keeps your body temperature the same as while playing.
There is also a fair chance of you getting sick and therefore wearing a jacket is advised.
Also Read:
Could Possibly Affect the Functioning of the Body
Continuing on from the previous point, after the intense workout of playing tennis our body temperature is really high and suddenly dropping to the normal temperature may affect our blood pressure or could be even more dangerous in some terms.
This is why a jacket helps in maintaining the temperature with the outside surroundings. This also helps majorly in muscle recovery.
Technical Fabric
Most of the players wear their outfits made out of technical fabric that tend to disperse the moisture away by absorbing their sweat.
This, while playing helps them stay cool because of the mechanism of evaporation of sweat. Also, wearing a jacket pre-match helps heat up your body and then they in turn have to spend less time warming up.
Endorsement of Brands
At the professional and higher levels, many players have endorsement contracts and the manufacturers which are also high level brands who want their entire line of clothing to be seen by the viewing audience.
Jackets usually sell out for more than the rest of the clothing items and they want to make sure that the audience which is usually into buying them get a good look at it. Regardless of the temperature of where the match is going on there are always people who want jackets where they play or live.
In sports marketing fans are the most critical part of a products success. Celebrity sponsorship is used to strengthen this bond and build image and reputation which helps them sell out more.
Through this technique a product portfolio is created and the line is elevated. A community is developed due to the social identity of the player being affiliated and the sense that is developed by the audience while attending sports events such as Wimbledon.