Quick answer
Why is it called a tennis bracelet? Because of Chris Evert. During the 1978 US Open, her diamond line bracelet broke and fell onto the court, and play stopped while she looked for it. The story stuck, and the flexible line of matching stones became the tennis bracelet. Many retellings say 1987, but Evert's own account places it in 1978.
Few pieces of jewelry are named after a single moment on live television. The tennis bracelet is one of them, and the moment says a lot about why the style has lasted: it was worn by an athlete, mid-match, as an everyday thing.
Here is the real story, the date mix-up you will find all over the internet, and how the tennis bracelet has changed since.
Key takeaways
- The name comes from Chris Evert, whose bracelet fell on court at the US Open.
- Her own account dates it to 1978, the first year at Flushing Meadows. Many sources say 1987.
- Before that, jewelers called it a diamond line bracelet.
- A true tennis bracelet is a single line of matching stones in hinged settings.
Why is it called a tennis bracelet?
In 1978, Chris Evert was one of the biggest names in tennis. She would win 18 Grand Slam singles titles in her career, six of them at the US Open. On court, she wore a bracelet of diamonds set in gold.
At the US Open, in an early-round match, the bracelet broke. As her publicist later told jewelry historian Marion Fasel, Evert “was wearing a diamond and gold bracelet and it broke and fell onto the court in an early round of the Open and they had to stop play while she looked for it.”
Picture it: a champion searching the court for her bracelet while the crowd waits. Evert is widely quoted as saying she had dropped her “tennis bracelet”, the phrase caught on, and jewelers ran with it. The piece went from a “diamond line bracelet” to a tennis bracelet in the public mind.
1978 or 1987: when did it really happen?
Search the story and you will see 1987 again and again. Evert's own account, given through her publicist to The Adventurine, places it at the 1978 US Open, the year the tournament moved from Forest Hills to its new home in Flushing Meadows and switched from clay to hard courts.
The 1978 date also fits her career: that year Evert won her fourth US Open title in a row. Nobody knows exactly where 1987 came from. The 1978 date is the one that matches Evert's own memory, so it is the one we trust.
One more honest detail: the words “tennis bracelet” had appeared in print before, in a 1975 jewelry ad in The New Yorker for a tennis-themed piece. What Evert changed was the meaning. After 1978, a tennis bracelet meant one thing: a line of diamonds around the wrist.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1975 | “Tennis bracelet” appears in a New Yorker jewelry ad, for a tennis-themed design |
| 1978 | The US Open moves to Flushing Meadows; Evert's bracelet falls on court and play stops |
| 1978 | Evert wins her fourth straight US Open singles title |
| Since then | Diamond line bracelets are also known as tennis bracelets |
| Today | The name covers any line of matching stones: diamond, moissanite or colored gems |
Sources: The Adventurine (Evert's account), Wikipedia entries on Chris Evert, the US Open and the tennis bracelet.
What is a tennis bracelet, exactly?
A tennis bracelet is a single, continuous line of identical stones, each in its own setting, joined by small hinges so the bracelet flexes around the wrist with little side-to-side movement. That flexibility is the point: it lies flat, moves with you and does not twist.
What it is not: a charm bracelet, a bangle or a chain with a few stones along it. Half-tennis designs, with stones on the top half only, and bangles set with a row of stones borrow the look, but the classic tennis bracelet is stones all the way around.
How the tennis bracelet has evolved
Evert's bracelet was diamonds set in gold. The idea stayed the same, but the options have grown a lot. These are the main styles you will find today, with an example of each from our Riviera collection:
| Style | What sets it apart | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Four-prong | The classic: maximum light around each stone | Solène, 3mm or 4mm |
| Dainty | Tiny stones for stacking with a watch | Lou, 2mm or 2.5mm |
| Statement | Large stones, big presence | Victoire, 5mm or 6.5mm |
| Bezel | A metal rim around each stone, smooth and snag-free | Nina, 2mm or 3mm |
| Slider | Sliding bolo closure, adjusts to any wrist | Zoé, 6.1in to 10.8in |
| Stretch | No clasp, rolls on over the hand | Lise, 2.5mm or 3mm |
| Mixed cuts | Pear, oval, heart, princess and emerald in one line | Mosaïque |
Stones have changed too. Diamond is still the reference, but moissanite gives the same bright line with more fire for a fraction of the cost, and colored stones, like pink for an October birthday, have turned the tennis bracelet into something playful as well as classic.
How to wear a tennis bracelet today
Evert wore hers to play a Grand Slam match. That is still the best style advice: treat it as an everyday piece, not an heirloom kept in a drawer.
- With a watch: wear a dainty line (2mm to 3mm) on the same wrist, against the watch case.
- Alone: a 4mm to 5mm line on a bare wrist looks complete with a white shirt or a sweater.
- In a stack: pair a tennis bracelet with a plain gold bangle and a fine chain; keep one piece as the star.
- Evenings: go up to 5mm or 6.5mm stones, or two lines of different sizes.
- Mixed metals: white and yellow tones together look deliberate when you repeat each at least twice.
Fit matters
Evert's bracelet fell because it broke. Choose a box clasp with a safety lock, and size it right: measure your wrist and add about 0.5 inch for a close fit that will not slide over your hand. Our size guide shows how to measure.
How to choose your tennis bracelet
Three decisions do most of the work: stone size (2mm for stacking, 3mm to 4mm for everyday, 5mm and up for statement), setting (prongs for sparkle, bezel for a smooth feel) and length (wrist plus 0.5 inch). Our full guide, how to choose a moissanite tennis bracelet, walks through each one.
Keep it bright with a soak in warm water and mild soap, then a soft brush between the stones. The jewelry care guide has the details for each metal.
Three ways to wear the line
Find your line of light
Tennis bracelets in D color, VVS1 moissanite, from dainty 2mm lines to 6.5mm statements, with free tracked US shipping.
Shop tennis braceletsFrequently asked questions
Who made tennis bracelets famous?
Tennis champion Chris Evert. During the 1978 US Open, by her own account, her diamond and gold bracelet broke and fell onto the court in an early-round match, and play was stopped while she looked for it. The story spread, and the diamond line bracelet has been known as the tennis bracelet ever since.
What was a tennis bracelet called before?
Jewelers called it a diamond line bracelet: a single row of matching diamonds set in flexible links. The words “tennis bracelet” had appeared in a 1975 ad for a tennis-themed piece, but the modern meaning, a line of stones around the wrist, dates from Chris Evert's US Open moment.
Did the Chris Evert bracelet story happen in 1987?
Many articles say 1987, but Evert's own account, given through her publicist, places it at the 1978 US Open, the tournament's first year at Flushing Meadows. That year she went on to win her fourth consecutive US Open singles title. The 1987 date appears to be a later mix-up.
Can you wear a tennis bracelet every day?
Yes, that is what it was made for. Choose a secure box clasp with a safety lock, a fit of about 0.5 inch over your wrist measurement, and stones hard enough for daily knocks. Moissanite, at 9.25 on the Mohs scale, handles everyday wear well. Take it off for the gym and heavy cleaning.
How tight should a tennis bracelet fit?
Snug, but not tight. Measure your wrist just below the wrist bone and add about 0.5 inch for a close fit that will not slide over your hand. Add 0.75 to 1 inch if you prefer a looser, relaxed drape. A slider or stretch style adjusts on its own.
Keep reading
Written by the Daellia Journal team, Paris. We write about moissanite, metals and the stories behind fine jewelry so you can buy with confidence. Read our moissanite guide or our story.
