Magdalena Frech is wearing head-to-toe Reebok with the new Phase Evo shoe.

Reebok

Reebok is back in tennis. After nearly two decades without a performance tennis shoe and dedicated tennis apparel, the American brand returns to the game, launching the Phase Evo tennis shoe and outfitting Polish tennis player Magdalena Frech in head-to-toe Reebok.

“Tennis has always been part of Reebok’s foundation, it’s where some of our earliest performance innovations and cultural moments came to life,” Greg Korbas, Reebok director of product marketing, performance footwear, tells me. “It felt natural to return to a sport that’s so deeply rooted in our DNA. This wasn’t about entering something new, it was about re-engaging with a space we helped shape, with a more modern point of view.”

Reebok is synonymous with tennis performance, introducing the Reebok Court Victory Pump to the tennis world via Michael Chang over 35 years ago and being the first to outfit Venus Williams professionally, not to mention having connections aplenty with Andy Roddick, Patrick Rafter and more.

For the re-entry, Reebok signed top-50 WTA player Frech, outfitting her in head-to-toe Reebok for the first time in late February, where the Phase Evo made its on-court debut. “Performance validation is critical in performance categories,” Korbas says. “Having an athlete at the center of this return ensures the product is grounded in real insight and credibility, not assumption. It also signals intent, that we’re not just participating in tennis, we’re committed to it and ensuring top performance innovation is at the heart of everything we do.”

For Frech’s part, she’s excited to be part of tennis history. “Reebok is such an iconic brand in tennis history and culture, I’m excited to be part of the team,” she tells me. “There’s a lot of new energy in tennis right now, and I’m excited to partner with Reebok as they evolve the sport for the next generation of athletes.”

The Phase Evo, then, is the most modern example of Reebok tennis performance. Korbas says the brand leveraged what it has learned from its other performance categories over the years and refined it for tennis, all while paying homage to the sport’s heritage. The brand also wanted to create something innovative, he says, geared to support real match play, but also athletes of all levels.

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The inspiration for the Phase Evo came from the Reebok archive. “That said, we worked to create something completely new that supports our mission of catering to the modern athlete,” Korbas says. “We paid specific attention to the forefoot—faster branding, functional technology and disruptive design.”

Reebok uses its Floatride Court EVA midsole and Griptonite rubber outsole, both for support and durability. “Our goal was to create a highly supportive performance tennis shoe that balances stability, durability and breathability,” he says. On the upper, the brand’s ToeTection abrasion cage provides durability and protection while helping establish a lockdown support. The Phase Evo includes a high-density comfort collar and a TPU shank for midfoot stability.

“The Phase Evo gives me the comfort and cushioning I need to stay locked in through an entire match while still allowing me to move quickly and confidently across the court,” Frech says.

The design also gives Reebok a baseline to grow from. “The Phase Evo was designed to be a foundation, not a one-off,” Korbas says. “It establishes our point of view in performance tennis—both technically and aesthetically—and gives us a platform to build from.”

The model releases July 10 for $130 and comes with an assortment of tennis apparel. The footwear launches in a white and a black colorway and in both unisex and women’s sizing.

Reebok, known for a mixture of training, running, basketball and tennis styles from decades gone past, was owned by Adidas from 2006 until the German company sold Reebok to Authentic Brands Group in March 2022. ABG also owns tennis brand Prince and legacy tennis sneaker maker Tretorn, which was established in 1891 in Sweden.

When building a new model, there’s also the look to keep in mind. “Across all performance models, there’s been a focus on driving a ‘new look of sport’ design aesthetic that helps push the brand forward,” Korbas says. “With Phase Evo, we wanted to stay true to that DNA while delivering something bold and unexpected, especially as we return to the court for the first time in two decades.”