She said the incident of Evert and the bracelet took place in 1987 at the U.S. Open “during an exceptionally long rally.” My main quibble is actually with the date people are claiming the event took place. A lot of jewelry history is oral history and I had always heard the diamond line bracelet, a style that has been around since the 1920s, was named a “tennis bracelet” during the 1970s when Evert began to wear one while she ascended the ranks in her chic sporting gear and jewelry to become the number one player in the world. My understanding was the extravagance of playing in diamonds was such a novelty, her jewel was dubbed a tennis bracelet, by no one knows who, and the name stuck.
