Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios caused a stir at Wimbledon after causing a scandal.
When accepting his second place trophy in 2022, Kyrgios wore a red cap. Although innocuous in most settings, the player had caused offence because Wimbledon’s strict traditions and rules.
Competitors must wear almost entirely all-white when on the court - this includes headbands, bandanas, wristbands, and caps. Players must also wear attire that is ‘almost entirely white’ rather than off white or cream, and ‘almost entirely white shoes’, including the soles and laces, according to the Wimbledon website.
A small pop of colour is allowed around the neckline and around the cuff of the sleeves, but it cannot be wider than one centimetre.
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The colour choice dates back to the standards set in the Victorian era, as it was believed that white hid sweat marks better, and back 148 years to 1877 when the tournament began.
The affinity for white clothing is said to be due to its ability to camouflage sweat stains, which were considered improper.
As you can probably tell, Wimbledon has a notoriously strict dress code. But on 4 July, 2022, Kyrgios walked onto the court wearing a pair of red-and-white Air Jordans, before switching to white tennis shoes to play.
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He also switched a white hat for a red Air Jordan one, likely eliciting more furore among Wimbledon purists.
When Kyrgios wore a red hat to accept his trophy from Kate Middleton, people were outraged. “Kyrgios you are a disgrace for that hat in front of the princess,” one outraged spectator posted on X.
Kyrgios has since said Wimbledon should scrap its traditional all white dress code. He Flouting the rules does not come cheap after all, as he also claimed that he was fined around $16,000 for wearing his red accessories, talkSPORT.com reports.
“I think it'd be cool to mix it up. I think everyone should wear all black,” he told the publication.
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“I think it would contrast the grass well and the white lines. I think that would be. It'd be a good change. I think one year they should just do it.
“It would look super clean on the court and on TV. It would look amazing.”
Something tells us this will be a hard sell for Wimbledon officials…
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However, in more recent years, there has been a move towards relaxing the rules after athletes and commentators criticised them. The all-white clothing once extended to undergarments, which led to controversy in 2014 when former champion Pat Cash claimed female players had to play without a bra because of the ‘archaic’ clothing rule rule.
The debate around the all-white rule for undergarments arose again in 2017, when five-time champion Venus Williams changed her pink bra in the middle of a match.
But there has now there has been a slight, but notable, change, as female players have been permitted to wear solid mid/dark-coloured undershorts since November 2022. Although the garments must not be longer than their skirt or shorts. This change was introduced to reduce stress for those who menstruate during the championship.
Gregory Robinson