Ellesse, which is relauching in the U.S. through a licensed partnership with The Iconic Brand Corporation (TIBC), has established new U.S. headquarters in Dallas, officially relaunched its U.S. e-commerce platform on ellesse.us, and plans to open a flagship store in Dallas.
In July 2025, Pentland, Ellesse’s owner since 1994, announced plans to relaunch the Italian sportswear brand in the U.S. market with a focus on tennis and ski as part of a new licensing deal with TIBC. Under the agreement, TIBC will design, develop, produce, and market Ellesse apparel and accessories in the U.S., in collaboration with Ellesse’s London team.
“Launching Ellesse back into the U.S. market is an important moment for the brand globally and for me personally,” said TIBC Chairman Todd Furniss, also the first American tennis player sponsored by Ellesse in 1978. “Being able to launch this next chapter from Dallas is a privilege, especially given the craftsmanship our team has brought to the collection. We’re eager to finally bring Ellesse to American courts and begin building a long-term presence in the American market.”
“Dallas is uniquely positioned to become the epicenter of the next era of tennis and sport culture in the United States,” said Duwayne Miller, CEO of TIBC. “We’re proud to build Ellesse’s U.S. headquarters in a city with one of the country’s most vibrant and passionate tennis communities. Tennis deserves a brand that seamlessly combines technical innovation, authentic heritage, and modern cultural relevance. History has shown that when the right brand enters the market at the right moment, it has the ability to shape the future of the sport.”
Ellesse, founded in 1959 in Perugia, entered the tennis category in 1974 and saw its heyday in the sport in the eighties, with Chris Evert wearing Ellesse when she won Wimbledon in 1982 and Boris Becker donning the brand when he claimed the same title in 1985. Today, Ellese is represented on the professional tour by Croation Donna Vekić and Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, and plans to expand its U.S. presence through multi-year partnerships with the Cincinnati Open beginning in 2026 and the Charleston Open in 2027.
Image courtesy Ellesse
