Apparently, the dress code for Wimbledon players extends to underwear. Moreover, an official could direct anyone not in compliance with the undergarment policy at the All-England Club off the court for a wardrobe change as several tennis players have already experienced.
Wimbledon officials are serious about the tennis tournament’s all-white dress code and are not shying away from forcing players to change their underwear , according to the Huffington Post . Consequently, some members of the public are calling it the “strictest” policy across all tennis clubs.
The rules governing what players are allowed to wear during tennis matches date back to the 19th century. Then, the very sight of perspiration through a person’s underwear was “unseemly.” At any rate, an emphasis was placed on women’s underclothes, according to the Express .
The site sheds light on the origins of the Wimbledon rules governing the all-white dress code for tennis players. While the US Open relaxed its policy in 1972 and allowed clothing of any color during play, Wimbledon did not follow suit.
Some argue that the club’s policy has actually gotten stricter since its inception. In summary, according to sources, all clothing worn during play must be white (off-white or any variations are unacceptable). There is a slight exception to the policy as “white color trims” and patterns are allowed, but the accent must be no wider than 1 centimeter.
Wimbledon forces junior boys players to change their underwear for violating the strict all-white dress code: https://t.co/eozFbYGxye pic.twitter.com/5hpJCNzEBi
— TENNIS (@Tennis) July 13, 2017
The rules overseeing the tennis competition dress code include everyone, from junior and unseeded players to tennis elites.
In 2015, Eugenie Bouchard was called out for wearing a black lace bra underneath a white shirt. In the same year, Nick Kyrgios was warned about wearing an “unapproved” official Wimbledon headband. Kyrgios called the dress code lecture “utterly pathetic.”
In 2013, an umpire supposedly told Men’s No. 5 ATP-Rank player, Roger Federer , to “ditch” his orange-soled trainers during a match in 2013. Most recently, during a Wimbledon 2017 Women’s singles match, Venus Williams was reportedly cautioned for violating the all-white rule, as USA Today wrote. During a press conference, reporters asked Venus about her change in clothing during a break in play.
“What pink bra? I don’t like talking about bras in press conferences. It’s weird.
“I don’t want to talk about undergarments. It’s kind of awkward for me. I’ll leave that to you. You can talk about it with your friends. I’m going to pass.”
Do you think the Wimbledon players dress code is too strict? Share your thoughts below.
[Featured Image by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images]
