Explained: The all-white clothing rule that Wimbledon is set to relax

The All England Club, organisers of the historic Wimbledon tennis championships, are expected to relax their all-white underwear rule, the British Media has reported. The issue stems from female players feeling anxiety during their menstrual cycles. “My generation, we always worried because we wore all white all the time,” legendary former player Billie Jean King told CNN’s Amanda Davies. “And it’s what you wear underneath that’s important for your menstrual period. “And we’re always checking whether we’re showing. You get tense about it because the first thing we are is entertainers and you want whatever you wear to look immaculate, look great. We’re entertainers. We’re bringing it to the people,” said one of the pioneers behind the formation of the women’s tour. “Nothing is worse in sports than when you turn on the television and two players are wearing the same uniform or same outfits. It’s horrible. No one knows who’s who. “This is one of my pet peeves, I’ve been yelling for years. Have you ever seen any sport where the people wear the same outfit on each side?,” she added. At Wimbledon this year, campaigners protested at the gates asking the organisers to relax the strict dress code. There were signs that read, “About Bloody Time” and “Address the dress code.” What is the all-white underwear rule? All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) advocates that all competitors must be ‘dressed strictly in white when they enter a court’. It adds: ‘Shoes, socks, caps, and bandannas must also be completely white, as must any undergarments visible during play.’ The rules also clarify that off-white and cream-coloured clothing is not permitted either. Where does Wimbledon’s all-white clothing rule come from? The rule goes back to the customs and traditions established in the late 1800s when the Championships were founded. It was not considered socially acceptable for people, including players, to sweat in public. By wearing white, the chances of sweat becoming visible was minimised. Has Wimbledon’s dress code caused controversy in the past?

In 2012, there wasn't an issue with Serena's outfit, but in 2017, Venus W's pink bra was problematic.
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in 2013 the orange-soled shoes of Federer were problematic, but not Sharapova's or Golovina's colored underwear ... pic.twitter.com/Mj8ujsUjFk

— anaanaanaana4444 (@anaanaanaana443) July 5, 2022

Many players, including Serena Williams, have embraced the all-white rule and added their own flare and creativity to it. She wore a one-sleeve dress at the 2021 Championships with a removable train. But not everyone has been pleased about it. Eight-time champion Roger Federer has largely followed the attire but was reprimanded for wearing orange-solder trainers in 2013. He was forced to change them for his next match. “I think it’s very strict. My personal opinion: I think it’s too strict,” he said. In 2014, nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova was told off for blue stripes on her white skirt during an invitational doubles. She said, “I think they’ve gone too far.” It has gone to the point where former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash preferred pulling out of the 2014 veterans tournament after his specialist shoes fell foul with the regulations. Andre Agassi boycotted the tournament entirely from 1988 to 1990 after he was barred from wearing his signature blue denim shorts. What has been said about the all-white underwear rule?

Definitely something that affects female athletes! Finally bringing it to everyone’s attention! Not to mention the mental stress of having to wear all white at Wimbledon and praying not to have your period during those two weeks. https://t.co/PzyHnPlSJk

— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) May 31, 2022

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2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist Monica Puig addressed the topic on Twitter earlier this year. “Definitely something that affects female athletes!” she tweeted. “Finally bringing it to everyone’s attention! Not to mention the mental stress of having to wear all white at Wimbledon and praying not to have your period during those two weeks.” Britain’s Alicia Barnett believes some traditions can be modified. “Personally, I love the tradition of all whites and I think we will handle it pretty well.” “I think being on your period on the tour is hard enough, but to wear whites as well isn’t easy.”

Two male players at Wimbledon were forced to change their black underwear because it broke the all-white rule. BUZZ IN! pic.twitter.com/CLGXKfHoVY

— HRS - The Hampton Roads Show (@hrsWAVY) July 14, 2017

Australia’s Daria Saville revealed she had skipped her period during the tournament in fear of bleeding mid-way into matches. “Recently just being at Wimbledon, I was talking with my friend saying that I love the all-white look, but then a few girls said they hate it because it sucks to wear all white while being on your period,” she told The Daily Aus. “It’s true, I myself had to skip my period around Wimbledon for the reason that I didn’t want to worry about bleeding through. We already have enough stress.” Scottish tennis coach Judy Murray, the mother of Jamie and Andy Murray, echoed the thoughts of King and other women: “One of the biggest problems previously in sport was that it was always white shorts, white kit, and so on in lots of different sports. Everything was white. Nearly all sports have moved over to colour now,” she told The Daily Mail. “I think it’s certainly a much more open talking point if you are wearing all white and then possibly have a leak while you’re playing. I cannot think of a much more traumatic experience than that.” In a statement, AELTC said, “Prioritising women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs is very important to us, and we are in discussions with the WTA, with manufacturers, and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that.” Have there been cases surrounding the all-white underwear rule? Earlier in 2022, Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu was pulled up by the officials because she had a black bra on. She then had to quickly switch with her coach right before her match was due to start. “My bustier was too black and I had to change it,” Buzarnescu had said after the match. “The white one I had was too transparent and you could see everything underneath and I couldn’t wear it, so I borrowed from my coach, I took her bustier.” In 2007, Tatiana Golovin took the court in bright red shorts underneath her white skirt. She reportedly had forgotten to change clothing after her warm-up and it wasn’t a protest. The rule applies to men too. In 2017, Austria’s Jurij Rodionov was asked to change from his blue undergarments. He was provided with a white pair by Wimbledon and went on to win his match. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News ,  India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.