Wimbledon is the most celebrated tennis tournament in the world and its traditions are returning at the end of this month.
The All England Club tournament is heavily embedded in heritage with rules still in place from the first ever edition back in 1877.
Wimbledon have been very strict about enforcing their dress codeGettyOne of the most famous features of SW19 remains the highly strict all-white dress code imposed on every player taking part.
It is well-known that tennis stars must don all-white outfits at Wimbledon, but the rules are also clear on the specific shade.
Tournament organisers even keep tabs on strips of colour that are wider than a single centimetre on headbands or shirt sleeves.
The often infuriatingly meticulous rules have been the subject of debate for years, with Andre Agassi infamously boycotting Wimbledon for three years to avoid following them.
Roger Federer was also warned about the orange soles on his shows.
Why do players have to wear white at Wimbledon?
Tennis whites date back to the origins of Wimbledon in the 1800s.
White was chosen as the uniform colour for a number of reasons as it reflects light better so therefore retains less heat.
It had practical reasons in that players wore white to avoid sweat patches appearing on coloured clothing.
White clothing was also a symbol of elitism as players who could take part in social tennis events had the money to keep their whites clean.
The Queen was on court as Virginia Wade celebrated winning Wimbledon in 1977gettyWimbledon prize money: Payout breakdown
Men’s and women’s singles winnings
Winner – £3m Runner-up – £1.52m Semi-finalist – £775,000 Quarter-finalist – £400,000 Fourth round – £240,000 Third round – £152,000 Second round – £99,000 First round – £66,000In 2014, Wimbledon updated their guidelines to clamp down on underwear that was visible and instead instructed it to be white.
However, following years of complaints from female tennis players who reported period anxiety, it has now been reconsidered.
From 2023, female stars can now play in coloured shorts under their white tennis skirts to reduce fears around their menstrual cycles.
Watson welcomed the rule changes at WimbledongettyHeather Watson said last year that she was delighted that Wimbledon have relaxed its strict dress code to ease the stress of women’s periods.
“When Wimbledon announced that about the under-shorts I was so happy because it makes such a big difference,” Watson said.
“I speak openly about my period and being on my period. I don’t think it’s a taboo subject. I would love for people to talk about it more, especially women in sport.
“So, when I heard this I was really happy because last year I went on the pill to stop myself bleeding because I knew we had to wear white under-shorts, and I didn’t want to face any embarrassment.
“We’re running around sweating, doing the splits on the court.
“This year I knew my period was going to be during Wimbledon again, so I’m very happy that I won’t have to do the same thing as last year. I think it’s a real positive and it’s really great. Really forward-thinking.”
Eugenie Bouchard believes the white outfits are a problemGettyBut Eugenie Bouchard thinks the white outfits as a whole are an issue.
Speaking ahead of Wimbledon 2024, she said: “Unfortunately, we cannot plan our own tennis matches, that is something completely out of our control.
“The tournament decides the schedule and when you play, so there’s no chance for that at all. I’ve definitely experienced really bad period cramps, pain, and I remember having that the day before the US Open in New York.
“And I was like ‘thank god this is just a practice day today, because if I had to play my match today it would be really hard’. I did play right away the next day so it wasn’t the best but it’s just something we have to deal with. We cannot control the schedule so it’s just luck.
“And I know some of the girls on tour also get a little worried when it comes to Wimbledon because you have to wear white. So, it just makes you a little more self-conscious if you’re…you know. It’s tough, but now they’ve changed the rules where you can wear like a different-coloured undergarment – so your ball shorts under the dress can be a different colour. But that’s a super-recent rule.”
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