“Tennis is a stop-and-start sport,” says Nikolaj Hansson, who founded the Copenhagen-based Palmes earlier this year. A menswear brand with roots in tennis culture, Palmes was born of Hansson’s interest in the sport’s versatile wardrobe. “What I like about tennis clothing is that the polo shirt that you wear on court can also be worn to work,” he says. 

JAMES CLASPER: Have you always been into tennis?

NIKOLAJ HANSSON: Not at all. Growing up, I played tennis once or twice when I was on holiday. I never felt it was for me. I had this preconceived notion—one that’s still relevant—that you need to come from the upper echelons of society to play tennis. When you say tennis, people think Wimbledon. They think white clothes, they think elite. That was somewhat ingrained in my...