11 Athletic Dresses That Ace Summer Style While Keeping You Cool and Comfy (2024)

Ready or not, “tenniscore” is taking over. The athletic dresses that have been a style staple for legends like Chris Evert, Maria Sharipova and both Venus and Serena Williams are getting some major mainstream play thanks to the popularity of pickleball as well as celebrities like Zendaya, who rocks a few pretty amazing ones in her new movie Challengers, and Taylor Swift, who made a certain lilac skirt go massively viral (while it was still on pre-order) simply by wearing it to pickleball practice in a YouTube short.

Tennis skirts aren’t just for tennis or pickleball — the fact that they’re typically lightweight, moisture-wicking, and have hidden shorts (and, often, pockets) built-in are what makes them great on and off the court. And by off the court, I mean on hiking trails, golf courses, morning runs, sightseeing tours, or just to look cute on a hot, active day. The styling options are limitless: you can wear your athletic dress solo or with a button-down top or blazer, and you can rock tennis shoes, booties, or even sandals with them.

The 11 athletic dresses below — nearly all with built-in shorts! — demonstrate the range of styles and materials available, like pleats, ruffles, cargo skirts, and even options made from sustainable and sun-protecting fabrics. You’re bound to find one you love.

Lululemon Lightweight Linerless Tennis Dress

Lululemon recently launched a line of pickleball-appropriate gear to get in on the tenniscore game, and boy, did they ace it. This Lululemon Lightweight Linerless Tennis Dress comes in three neutrals, including all-white, which just feels so summer-appropriate. This is a brand known for its lightweight performance fabrics, and this one is, of course, is sweat-wicking with four-way stretch features. It has medium support B/C cups that are removable, too.

Vuori One Shot Sport Dress

The stretchy, moisture-wicking knit One Shot Sport Dress with four-way stretch by beloved brand Vuori has all the features of a great tennis dress, plus lining and light support. The racerback is ideal for movement, so this is a great choice for hiking and kayaking, too. The dress comes in three colors, including a soothing light blue and neutrals black and white. “I live in this dress! It’s so soft and easy to throw on while still being very cute,” one shopper wrote.

Lily Pulitzer UPF 50+ Luxletic Deidra Dress

​Of course this pretty patterned tennis dress is by Lily Pulitzer. It’s so cute you almost wouldn’t know it’s built for action, with moisture-wicking, ultra-soft fabric that’s partially recycled, and a bonus: UPF sun protection built-in. “My first thought when I put this dress on was ‘wow, this is really flattering.’ This dress looks great on, and I have seen photos of this on people with all different body types, and it looks great on everyone,” a shopper wrote.

Athleta Break Point Dress

For really hot days, the Athleta Break Point Dress that’s made of super-lightweight SwiftLite fabric (a recycled polyester and spandex blend) with a cut-out back is the move. It wicks away sweat so you can climb the highest mountain and still look cool as heck, especially in this show-stopping turquoise shade (don’t worry, there are others if this isn’t your jam). This tennis skirt comes in sizes XXS to XL.

Outdoor Voices The Exercise Dress

With racerback spaghetti straps, this Outdoor Voices tennis dress should be deemed a suitcase essential. I can see this dress paired with everything, including sandals and cardigans. This one is equipped with pockets both hidden in the shorts, and the dress itself is made of a lightweight, moisture-wicking performance fabric. “I absolutely love this dress. Not only was it extremely flattering, but I found it to be very functional and comfortable during my hike,” a customer wrote.

Ewedoos Tennis Dress

Amazon’s number-one best-selling tennis dress is an activewear powerhouse with two side pockets, a removable bra, and four-way stretch. The LBD of tennis dresses, this one serves style-wise too, and is the perfect go-with-anything piece. “This dress was more comfortable than higher end brands I’ve tried and a better price point,” one reviewer wrote.

Alo Yoga Charmed Tennis Dress

Pop your collar and a few buttons while you’re at it: It doesn’t get any more classic than this polo-style tennis dress with a racerback. It’ll be the cutest thing on your trip and the best piece to match with your classic white tennis shoes — the only thing it’s missing is built-in shorts, but you can easily don separate shorts underneath.

Offline by Aerie Tiebreaker Pleated Dress

It’s all about the pleats that define this cheerleader-inspired OFFLINE tennis dress by my favorite (and IMO highly underrated) athletic wear brand, Aerie. Its yoga pants are so soft and second-skin stretchy that I have full faith in this adorable dress made in Aerie’s “Real Me Fabric,” which is designed to be lightly supportive and practically weightless (it really is!). But don’t just take it from me: ”This is the best! It supports comfortably and is super cute,” one shopper wrote. “It’s a versatile piece that can be worn to play in, wear to sporting events, run errands, or throw a T.”

Cupshe Sage Square Neck Sleeveless Active Dress

Say hello to the Square Neck Sleeveless Active Dress, a stretchy, spaghetti strap number from one of our favorite swimwear brands: Cupshe. It comes in this understated-elegant green shade and brings a major style moment to the court (or the cruise!).

Beach Riot Remi Tennis Dress

If you want to truly go Stefi Graff-style 1980s retro, this fun tennis dress by Beach Riot should be your pick. If you don’t want too much compression and like a slit in your skirt, this one has your name written all over it.

NikeCourtSlam Dri-FIT Tennis Dress

The prize for most visual interest goes to this Nike Advantage tennis dress with an eye-popping pattern. Made using sustainable practices, the resulting fabric is built for adventure — lightweight and sweat-wicking. Strategically placed openings on the back make being athletic a breeze.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.