The footwear tennis players take onto the court is one of the most important pieces of their armoury and in tennis, one brand is leading the way.

ASICS have been winning the tennis trainer battle for many years now, with the volume of players who take to the court wearing their shoes showing no sign of slowing down.

Giants of the game like Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper may have clothing contracts with rival companies, but they choose to wear ASICS shoes in the heat of battle.

Djokovic’s enduring success winning Grand Slam titles in his custom-made ASICS shoes has been a huge boost to the brand and he spoke about the detail he puts into the design at an event Tennis365 were invited to at Wimbledon.

“I spend a lot of time with the designers saying what we want until we get the perfect shoe,” said Djokovic.

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“We went back and forward and I know I was not easy on the ASICS guys because there was more than a few times that I came up with different models and I didn’t like the small details.

“Everything matters about how you feel on a tennis court. Rackets and shoes are the two most important things we have on a tennis court and I’m really pleased with what we have come up with.

“Speaking to other players who are also using this shoe, they say it is the best they have played in so I am grateful to Rene and the team for being patient and getting us to this point.”

Tennis365 spoke to Rene Zandbergen, Senior Manager CPS Footwear and Innovation at ASICS Europe, as he explained the process he goes through with players like Djokovic to get the ideal solutions.

“What I always find really interesting is the passion and the desire they all have to get the best shoe when they go onto the court,” said Zandbergen.

“I have a passion for footwear and blending these two together is always interesting. I really need to understand from them what they want, what they need, what they want to change. Then my job is to find the solutions.

“Sometimes we have to say that a shoe cannot be as flexible as they sometimes want it to be, as that will make it unstable. It is all about finding a balance and trying to give a player everything they want and accepting that it may not always be possible to meet every request.

“When you sit down with a player, they only want the best and the fun for us is trying to work with them and get them the perfect footwear.”

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ASICS released their new collections or the US Open, with Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery among those signed up to wear ASICS clothes and trainers, while in the women’s game, Belinda Bencic and Jasmine Paolini are brand ambassadors.

They were wearing the ASICS ‘Night Energy’ collection at the US Open, with Fritz among those enjoying the look and feel of his upgraded trainers.

“Stepping onto the court after dark in New York is an electric, incredibly demanding experience,” said Fritz. “When you’re competing late into the night, blocking out distractions can sometimes be a challenge. It is so reassuring to step out there knowing my footwear is fully supporting me.

“The extra stability and comfort from the GEL-RESOLUTION™ X NIGHT ENERGY keep me feeling grounded and balanced through every rally. Having tennis shoes this reliable gives me the confidence to embrace the energy of the night session and just focus on playing my best tennis.”

Sporting footwear has become an art form in recent years, with ASICS setting the standards for excellence.

READ MORE: Why Novak Djokovic’s shoe changing habits give his suppliers a problem