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No white tennis, no service. At least that's the rule of Wimbledon
Another year another tennis tournament at Wimbledon – and another chance for tennis players to attempt the fate of grbad stains with their outfits all white. Or, for the daring, try to get around the strict rules of dress code. When Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Rafel Nadal and other tennis stars arrive at the All England Lawn Tennis Club & Racquet Club on July 2-15, they will be dressed in their finery. . At the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, the fashion police is still in force. But as said Meredith Richards, Librarian of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the players tested the limits of the dress code of the sport for decades
What is the dress code [19659004]? By Victorian standards, when players wore white for reasons of propriety, it was believed that whites showed less sweat. In the following centuries, however, the rules of Wimbledon's dress code have tightened to oust all those annoying players who might try to defy the tradition of the look.
The first rule for Wimbledon tennis players is that the outfit is "Full Tennis which is almost entirely white", which applies when they enter the court. And the nuances of off-white and cream will not cut it. And while non-white trim is allowed, this touch of color should be on the neckline, the sleeve or the outer seam of a pants, skirt or leg of short – and can not be less than one centimeter wide. The logos are out, just like the colors contained in the patterns if they measure more than one centimeter like mbad.
And then there are the accessories, which include "caps, headbands, bandannas, bracelets and socks" – all required to adhere to the same all-white ruler, with the allowable one centimeter pad. The shoes must be completely white, without colored soles, and the undergarments that can be "visible during the game" must also match the white theme. ("In addition," adds the code, "common standards of decency are required at all times."
Finally, players often use medical media or tapes, which Wimbledon asks for. "White if possible" but can be a color "if absolutely necessary."
Have there been any players who have broken the rules of the dress code?
Over the years, many players have pushed the boundaries of the Wimbledon dress code, bringing the club to react with increasingly strict regulations.From 1988 to 1990, the star player Andre Agbadi refused to participate in Wimbledon, preferring clothes in bright colors, he finally succumbed to the rule of white tennis, and in 1992 won his first Grand Slam title after completing his boycott against the uniform.
In 2013, Roger Federer, regular at Wimbledon, was punished by the club's orange-bottomed shoes. The following year, they o He clarified the rule regarding shoe soles.) "White, white, all-white," he said in 2014 in response to rule updates. "I think it's very strict, my personal opinion: I think it's too strict."
Roger Federer, of Switzerland, in his first round against Victor Hanescu, of Romania, on the first day of the World Tennis Championships Wimbledon 2013 at the All England Tennis Lawn & Croquet Club in London, United Kingdom. Corbis via Getty Images
Others have bypbaded the regulations by dying of their bright colors and flirting with different forms of underwear, accessories or trimmings. In 1949, female player Gussie Moran wore eyebrows with lace-trimmed bloomers worn under her skirt. While the bloomers were all white, the All England Tennis Club was not satisfied with his choice and accused him of "wearing vulgarity and sin in tennis," as noted in his obituary New York Times . They also soon banned the short dresses of the tournament.
American tennis player Gertrude Moran, or Gorgeous Gussie, in action on her way to beat FM Wilford at Wimbledon June 22, 1949.
George W. Hales-Getty Images
But for Moran, the point was just better mobility. "I'm interested in clothes in which I can play tennis, not in creating sensations and certainly not in anything that someone may think in bad taste," she writes in an article. for the Associated Press
. allowed to return, the underwear remains a point of friction. More recently, in 2010 and 2012, Serena Williams pushed the boundaries with brightly colored underwear. Apparently, they worked like a lucky charm, however; She wins the two-year trophy
American Serena Williams celebrates her victory over Russian Vera Zvonareva in the Women's Singles Final on Day Twelve at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis Wimbledon Club. (Photo by Andrew Milligan / PA Images Through Getty Images)
Andrew Milligan – PA images-PA images via Getty Images
And her sister Venus Williams also made headlines for her dress codes , as recently as Wimbledon 2017 events. When asked about her choice to wear a pink sports bra for the first half of one of her matches, she quickly closed the conversation. "I do not like talking about bra at press conferences," she said. "It's weird."
Why is it so strict to wear white?
The history of tennis whites dates back to the beginnings of the sport in the 1870s. According to historian Meredith Richards, International Tennis Hall of Fame Librarian, the Victorian era consisted of being "Incredibly fit." In fact, white clothes were supposed to be a little more breathable and less hot than other colors; it can be badumed that players would sweat less in their whites – and that their perspiration would not be so obvious, thanks to the light color.
But, as Richards notes, this was not always the case. Styles did not help either: women wore long dresses up to ankles with sleeves, while men competed in long pants, mostly cotton. Again, the level of play was also different. "Of course, they did not practice much, not as much as they do today," says Richards.
Today, many tennis clubs – including Wimbledon – have put in place white clothing policies, primarily for the sake of tradition. And because Wimbledon is the most traditional of the four majors, politics is particularly serious.
Tennis pro Rosie Casals run to reach a serve by Kerry Nelville in their match in the Virginia Slims Tennis Tournament here 4/26. Casals won in two sets, 6-2, 6-4
Bettmann-Bettmann Archive
Yet, players have always pushed the limits. The Hall of Famer Rosie Casals, for example, was reprimanded by Wimbledon while he was playing in 1972 for a too purple dress; Richards explains offense to Virginia Slims cigarette brand
even though tennis whites remained tied for the course, however, some in the sport advocate greater use of color
" Once color television appeared, Mike Davies, a member of the Hall of Fame, created the idea of players wearing colorful clothes, "recalls Richards." He said that if people wore different outfits , people would be able to differentiate them more easily. "No longer relegated to black and white, the color on the field was both a mark of personality and a way for fans to identify competitors. remains, as they say, is history – until players meet at Wimbledon, of course.
Where will officials go to apply this dress code of Wimbledon?
The leaders of Wimbl In 2014, the great Martina Navratilova – who equaled Billie Jean King for most Wimbledon titles of all time – was reprimanded for blue stripes on her white skirt, prompting her to comment more late that the powers had "gone too far". Recently, underwear has been the point of friction for players, and Wimbledon has gone so far as to replace offensive objects for players. In 2017, the Austrian competitor Jurij Rodionov was invited to change after discovering that he was rocking blue underwear; he managed to trade them against a white pair provided by Wimbledon, and continued to win his match. Similar situations occurred in the same year for doubles players Zsombor Piros and Wu Yibing. "I did not realize it was big news," Piros said at the press conference that followed.
Wimbledon 2018 will be held from July 2 to July 15 and the games will be broadcast on WatchESPN, Hulu Live, SlingTV and DirecTV Now, more via the BBC Sport website and app.
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