While it may be an innocuous thing to notice on the court, there is actually a reason behind why tennis players all wear white at Wimbledon
There’s a very interesting reason why Wimbledon has a specific – and strict – dress code for tennis stars competing at SW19.
While celebrities, royalty and more dress in their finest for one of the summer’s most distinguished sporting events, athletes must adhere to a strict uniform colour – white. The rule requiring competitors to dress exclusively in white was introduced in the 1880s, and its origins lie both in hygiene and aesthetics.
The dress code specifies that, due to the unsightly nature of sweat stains, white was chosen to minimise their visibility. Given how prominently sweat stains can show on bright clothing and even some neutral hues – like grey – the phrase “tennis whites” was coined and became the standard player attire, according to Britannica.
Notable players, including Roger Federer, have violated this code and have been hit with repercussions. The legendary Swiss broke the regulations in 2013 for wearing orange-soled shoes during a match, consequently being instructed to swap them out in the games that followed.
There has been a recent minor adjustment to the rule for women in order to reduce some anxiety around their period. Female tennis players competing at Wimbledon have been told they are allowed to wear dark undershorts, a move aimed at easing worries about periods occurring at inconvenient times, according to Forbes.
The only stipulation is that these shorts must not be too long and visible under their white skirts.
British tennis ace Heather Watson was thrilled with this change, telling Sky that she wants to break down the stigma around menstruation. Watson said: “When Wimbledon announced that about the under-shorts I was so happy because it makes such a big difference.”
“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.”
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“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.”
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