Stan Smith: from Grand Slam champion to fashion icon

Stan Smith: from Grand Slam champion to fashion icon

From The Sit-Down by Tennis Australia

May 4, 2026 · 33 min · Season 3 · Episode 13

About this episode

Stan Smith discusses his journey from a Grand Slam champion to a fashion icon.

Many people will know Stan Smith as the man behind the iconic adidas Stan Smith shoe, which is not surprising given there have been more than 100 million pairs sold and collaborations with the likes of Pharrell Williams and Stella McCartney. But Smith is also known for his legendary tennis career – among his seven Grand Slam titles were two singles majors (Wimbledon and the US Open) and he rose to world No.1 in the early 1970s. He was also a part of seven triumphant US Davis Cup teams, many times battling it out with a golden generation of Australian legends in one of the sport's most enduring rivalries. The American star was one of the original players to use tennis as a platform for other great achievements — he campaigned against apartheid, set up his own academy, developed Stan Smith events and even became an author. He’s also a former president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Tennis is the thread throughout Smith's lifetime, and as you will hear in this interview, the sport is all the richer for having him in it.  AusOpen.com iHeart Apple Podcasts Spotify   Host handles: @Viv_Christie @MattyAT See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…

People in this episode

Hosts: Viv Christie, Matty A

Guest: Stan Smith

Topics covered

  • tennis
  • fashion
  • sports history
  • athlete activism
  • Grand Slam
  • adidas

Keywords

  • Stan Smith
  • adidas
  • tennis
  • Grand Slam
  • fashion
  • activism
  • Wimbledon
  • US Open

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: adidas, International Tennis Hall of Fame

More episodes of The Sit-Down

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Sit-Down podcast page.