( Lifestyle ) All the times tennis players flouted the Wimbledon ‘all-white’ dress code

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Wimbledon, also known as ‘The Championships’, is one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, and also the oldest.
 

Held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877, it is played on outdoor grass courts and is the only one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments — others being the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open — that is played on grass and one that does not conduct night matches.
 

Wimbledon is also one that follows a stringent dress code for players. According to wimbledon.com, the following rules apply to all clothing — including tracksuits and sweaters — worn on the courts for practice and for matches.
 

1. Competitors must be dressed in “suitable tennis attire” that is “almost entirely white”. This applies from the point the player enters the court.

2. White does not include off-white or cream.
3. There should be no “solid mass or panel of colouring”. A single trim of colour around the neckline and around the cuff of the sleeves is acceptable, but must be no wider than one centimetre (10mm).

4. Colour contained within patterns will be measured. Logos formed by variations of material or patterns are not acceptable.
5. The back of a shirt, dress, tracksuit top or sweater must be completely white.

6. Shorts, skirts and tracksuit bottoms must be completely white except for a single trim of colour down the outside seam.

7. Caps, headbands, bandanas, wristbands and socks must be completely white except for a single trim of colour.

8. Shoes must be almost entirely white. Soles and laces must be completely white, too. Large manufacturers’ logos are not encouraged.

9. Undergarments visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour. “Common standards of decency are required”.

10. Medical equipment should be white if possible, but can be coloured if absolutely necessary.

The aforementioned rules, however, have been bent by some players in the past, who have courted controversy over the years. In 1987, Australian tennis player Pat Cash had worn a black and white checkered bandana at the tournament.

 

In 2009, Roger Federer had worn a jacket embroidered with the number ’15’ after winning the Wimbledon men’s singles final against Andy Roddick. It was assumed the number on the custom Nike jacket was in reference to his 15th Grand Slam victory.
 

Then, in 2017, Venus Williams was reportedly asked to change her bra in the middle of a match when her pink straps were spotted in the all-white tournament. When she was asked about it during the press conference Williams had said, “I don’t like talking about bras in press conferences. It’s weird.”
 

French tennis player Tatiana Golovin made news during the 2007 Wimbledon Championships, when she wore red shorts while competing. Interestingly, Golovin was allowed to wear them because it was prior to the dress code update of 2014.
 

In 2008, Maria Sharapova made a statement against the strict dress code by wearing a pair of shorts and a corset-style top in reference to Wimbledon’s rigid guidelines. She, however, told Reuters that she was “very inspired by menswear this year”, and that she “wanted to do something classy and elegant”.
 

In 2017, four male players in the Wimbledon junior tournament showed up to the court wearing black and blue underwear, and were asked to change them. Zsombor Piros of Hungary and China’s Wu Yibing were given white underwears by an official, and sent to the locker room to change.