Wimbledon Insists on White, But Female Players' Underwear Is an Exception... Why?

Exception for Female Athletes' Undergarments... Consideration for Athletes During Menstruation
Athletes React Positively: "Glad Not to Feel Stressed"

The Wimbledon tennis tournament, famous for its tradition of requiring players to wear all-white clothing from head to toe, will change starting this year. For female players, underwear will be exempted from this rule.

On the 1st (local time), overseas sports media such as Sky Sports reported, "New dress code regulations will be applied at Wimbledon, which opens on the 3rd at the All England Club in London, UK."

Founded in 1877, Wimbledon is the oldest of the four major Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon, Australian Open, French Open, US Open). It is also well known for its 'all-white dress code,' which requires players to wear only white attire.

Article 7 of the Wimbledon dress code states that "hats, headbands, scarves, wristbands, and socks must all be white, and no color exceeding 10mm is allowed." Not only players but also referees, ball boys and girls, and medical staff entering the venue must wear white clothing. Even spectators are required to wear neat shirts or jackets and decent dresses.

In 2013, Roger Federer (Switzerland) wore shoes with orange soles in the first round and was instructed by the tournament organizers to ensure that no orange color was visible on the soles from the next match onward.

Maria Sharapova (Russia) wearing colored underpants during a match at Wimbledon in 2013. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Since 2014, players' underwear has also been required to be white. Due to these strict restrictions, disputes over dress code violations often arise before or during matches at Wimbledon.

However, starting this year, an exception will be made allowing female players to wear colored underpants. This measure aims to alleviate the anxiety of players competing during their menstrual periods.

Of course, although an exception has been made, Wimbledon has minimized the exposure of colored underpants by enforcing the rule that "underpants must not extend below the skirt."

Players have welcomed this decision. Heather Watson (UK) said, "Last year, I had to take medication to stop my period because of the white underwear rule," adding, "In fact, it has been taboo to talk about this issue publicly, but I think there is no need for that."

Coco Gauff (USA) also welcomed Wimbledon's decision, saying, "Last year, my menstrual period overlapped with the Wimbledon tournament, which caused me stress," and "This will help in that regard."

However, Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) expressed concerns, saying, "Of course, I think this measure to reduce female players' anxiety is a good thing, but wearing colored underpants might actually reveal that they are menstruating."

Jabeur added, "It would be better if all players were allowed to wear colored underpants."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.