All tennis followers are aware there’s one grass Grand Slam tournament every year played in Wimbledon, England and all avid tennis followers are aware players must wear white. Not many of them know why is that the case.
Wimbledon Dress Code
- White must be worn. Off-white or cream is not acceptable
- Colour trims are permitted – no wider than 1cm
- Patterns are allowed but any solid mass of colour must be no wider than 1cm
- Shoes must be white – no large brand logos
- Undergarments must be white
- Spectators are encouraged to dress smartly
source: Mirror
This is the dress code for this year’s Wimbledon. It is a dress code which has remained largely unchanged since the inaugural tournament in 1877. It is believed the rule came to exist to avoid sweaty patches on clothes, something regarded as inappropriate in the 1800s. England is a country of traditions and The All England Club (originally the All England Croquet Club) is no exception.
Tennis players who have tried to test the organizer’s strictness regarding the rules have always been reprimanded. Andre Agassi famously refused to play at Wimbledon because his signature denim shorts and lurid tops were not allowed. In 2002, Anna Kournikova had to replace her black shorts with white ones borrowed from her coach. In general, Wimbledon authorities clamped down on attempts to wear colourful undergarments in 2014 after several female players tried wearing none-white undershorts and bras.
source: WTA
The rule stated: “Undergarments that either is or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white and contain no more than 1cm of coloured trim.”
Former Wimbledon champions Pat Cash was one of those who disapproved the rule, saying:
“Some of the girls have been told to go back and change their bras and tops because they had slight colour on them.”
“I believe some of the girls didn’t have suitable sports bras and had to go without them. It has absolutely gone ridiculous.”
source: People
However, Venus Williams had no problems with it.
“I think it’s a nice change. I think everyone just kind of glows in white. Obviously not all year, because anything every day is boring. But during these two weeks, it’s nice.”
Even all-time great Roger Federer was not immune to the unyielding imposition of the guidelines. In 2013, he was told to stop using his orange-soled sneakers as they broke the dress code.
Wimbledon 2018 update
Today is Monday, which means we’re halfway through Wimbledon 2018. The Round of 16 kicks off today with Roger Federer (vs. 26th ranked Andrea Mannarino), Rafael Nadal (vs. 93rd ranked Jiri Vesely), Juan Martin Del Potro (vs. 53rd ranked Gilles Simon) and Novak Djokovic (vs. 40th ranked Karen Khachanov) all in action.
While the men’s section has resisted surprises, the women’s section has only one top 10 seed left – Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova (vs. 20th ranked Kiki Bertens). The draw has opened up perfectly for 25th ranked Serena Williams, who’s on pace to reach her 10th Wimbledon final. Next, she will face 120th ranked fellow new mum Evgeniya Rodina.
