The Wimbledon tennis tournament - the oldest and most traditional of them all - is rethinking its strict all-white dress code to make it more considerate to women.
The rigid rules currently specify that all clothing, including "undergarments" that are visible or can be visible during play "due to perspiration," must be white. Not even caps, headbands or the soles of tennis shoes are exempt.
But following a growing conversation around the stress of worrying about leaks from periods, the All England Club released a statement on Tuesday saying: "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 (world tennis association), with manufacturers and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that.”
The announcement does appear to change the rules for male players.
Wimbledon is the only tennis tournament in the world with an all-white dress code.
Earlier this year, a number of players detailed the anxiety of adhering to the dress code during their period on top of the pressure of competing at an elite level and dealing with other symptoms that came with menstruation.
Twelve-time singles Grand Slam champion Billie-Jean King is the latest tennis star to comment on the issue, telling CNN on Tuesday: “[My generation], 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.”
Ajla Tomljanović during the third round of the US Open in 2022 wearing a colourful outfit. Source: AAP / Charles Krupa
“One of the biggest problems previously in sport was that it was always white shorts, white kit. Everything was white. Nearly all sports have moved over to colour now,” she said.
“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. When all matches are televised and streamed now, it is something that needs to be considered," she added.
Tennis great Billie Jean King sporting her Wimbledon tennis dress in 1974. Source: Getty / Frank Barratt
Recently retired star Monica Puig addressed the issue on Twitter in May, replying to Tennis commentator David Law, who said in his 25 years working in tennis he had never considered the physical impact menstruation could have on athletes.
“Definitely something that affects female athletes!” she wrote. “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.”
Australian player Daria Saville also revealed during the 2022 tournament in July she had skipped her period in previous Wimbledon's from the fear of bleeding through.
Protesters outside Wimbledon this year also backed the players, holding signs reading “about bloody time,” and “address the dress code”.
Campaigners from Address The Dress Code outside the main gate at Wimbledon protest in July, 2022. Source: Getty / Kirsty O'Connor
History of the Wimbledon dress code
The dress code was written in the 1880s, when any form of sweat on one's sports attire was considered improper and rude, with white clothing believed to minimise the visibility of sweat and cool the players.
The strict code prohibits a player from wearing any colour other than white unless it is a single trim that is no wider than one centimetre. Even clothing worn to and from the courts must be white - and white does not include "off-white" or "cream,” the rules state.
Medical supports and equipment aren't exempt either, with the rules stating that they “should be white if possible but may be coloured if absolutely necessary.”
