Free People’s activewear brand, FP Movement, has signed American tennis player and world No. 15, Emma Navarro, to its growing roster of Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) players. As its highest-ranked player and a rising star who’s spent time in the top 10, it’s the loudest signal yet that the brand is betting big on tennis as a key investment in its overall growth.
“Tennis gives us this incredible platform to innovate, and that innovation cascades into our other performance lines like run or studio,” says Jack Reynolds, chief marketing officer at Free People. “The players help us drive credibility and position us as leaders in women’s sport, and they’re really the best product testers out there.”
Navarro was previously signed by Fila, the Italian-founded brand now headquartered in South Korea following an acquisition by its Korean subsidiary in 2007. The move reflects a shifting tennis sponsorship landscape, with classic brands long associated with the professional tour, like Fila, Sergio Tacchini, and Ellesse, being replaced by younger activewear brands like FP Movement, Lululemon, and Vuori. The new entrants offer players higher compensation, according to agents familiar with the deals, and greater creative control through custom looks, helping athletes build their personal brands. For brands, these partnerships offer cultural relevance, direct access to consumers, and a chance to test performance products in one of the few individual sports where personal style shines.
“It’s really exciting to work with a brand that allows me to add my personal touch to [the kits],” says Navarro while on set for her first FP Movement shoot at the LTP tennis center in Charleston, where she grew up and still lives. “I’ll be wearing outfits that I worked on designing — outfits that I’m really excited to wear and feel like myself in — and I’m excited for people to get a better sense of my style and personality through that.”
With the announcement, FP Movement is selling two new tennis styles that will match some of Navarro’s on-court looks — the Crossover Set, a periwinkle racerback tank with a black skirt and a decorative half-zip vest that she’ll wear for the Australian Open, and the Comeback Set, a more classic white T-shirt and ruffled skirt with navy detailing.
As someone who spends most of her time in athleisure, Navarro said she already had a natural affinity for the brand when conversations started. “I was wearing the brand a lot just on my own,” she says. “I think they do a really good job of making stuff that’s functional and good for performance but also really cute and feminine.”
A source familiar with the discussions said that her contract with Fila was up for renegotiation in September last year, and her management team spoke to a few different brands while on the hunt for more autonomy and customization. But her agent at GSE Worldwide represents all three of the other FP Movement tennis players, Sloane Stephens, Danielle Collins, and Sofia Kenin, which made for an easy and obvious transition. Navarro has also signed a one-year footwear deal with Asics, having previously worn Fila’s shoes.
Navarro will be integrated prominently in FP Movement’s marketing campaigns and social content, says Reynolds. “We really want to highlight her journey on and off the court throughout the year, as opposed to just circling around moments in time where tennis is more relevant.” She’ll also host the community events and tennis clinics that the brand has made central to its strategy over the last few years, with plans to appear at many tennis tournaments throughout the year.
It helps that FP Movement is already quite popular in Navarro’s hometown of Charleston. The brand has a store on King Street, the area’s most popular retail stretch, and has previously hosted events during the Charleston Open, a 500-level tennis tournament held every April. Many of the young tennis players who practice at LTP, where Emma spends her days training whenever she’s home, also look up to her. When they watch her practice, they can now easily purchase the things she’s wearing. “That community reach and ability to inspire young girls is probably what I’m most excited about,” says Navarro.
When asked how FP Movement’s tennis player partnerships and subsequent category expansion have impacted sales so far, Reynolds says they’ve continued to grow as they’ve leaned into the sport. Its tennis category saw an 18% increase in sales year-over-year, driven by popular styles like the Advantage Set, which puts a modern and more revealing spin on the country-club look, and the Smocking Hot Dress, an ultra-feminine piece with ruched detailing and a flowy skirt. However, tennis still ranks in fifth place behind broader active categories such as studio and outdoor performance.
This is just the beginning for the brand’s tennis roster, which Reynolds says they’re always looking to expand. The brand has dabbled in other individual sports, such as golf, running, and dance partnerships, but many of those still have stricter design limitations or uniforms that make it harder to break into in a meaningful way, he says. “We don’t just want to pay for a face or a name.”
At the end of 2026, the FP Movement team will judge the Navarro partnership not just by sales generated but by what Reynolds calls its long-term brand equity lift. Did it increase category credibility and product legitimacy? Did it help the brand reach underpenetrated audiences? Ultimately, it’s about whether the company’s designs for a professional athlete tapped into the needs of the average woman.
That calculus reflects a broader shift in tennis sponsorships, as the balance of power moves toward smaller brands willing to invest in product, personalization, and year-round storytelling — and away from legacy deals driven primarily by logo visibility.
“We design for real women, and that can mean elite competitors or weekend warriors,” says Reynolds. “There’s been this longstanding trade-off in athletic apparel where it either performs or looks good, and our foundation is built on the idea that you don’t have to choose — you can have both.”
