Current:Home > MarketsWimbledon will allow women to wear colored undershorts, in nod to period concerns-InfoLens
Wimbledon will allow women to wear colored undershorts, in nod to period concerns
View Date:2024-12-23 20:07:36
Wimbledon's famously strict rules requiring all-white clothing for its players now comes with an exception: female players can wear dark-colored undershorts beneath their skirts or shorts.
The change comes after current and former players described the stress of having to wear an all-white ensemble at the tennis tournament while on their menstrual periods.
The organizers of Wimbledon said the new rule follows discussions with the Women's Tennis Association, clothing manufacturers and medical teams.
"This means that from next year, women and girls competing at The Championships will have the option of wearing coloured undershorts if they choose," Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, said in a statement. "It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance by relieving a potential source of anxiety."
Wimbledon's dress code dictates that "white does not include off white or cream" and "a single trim of colour around the neckline and around the cuff of the sleeves is acceptable but must be no wider than one centimetre."
Now an asterisk has been added to the rules, permitting female players to "wear solid, mid/dark-coloured undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt."
The Grand Slam rulebook states that "clean and customarily acceptable tennis attire shall be worn as determined by each respective Grand Slam Tournament."
The other Grand Slams are far more liberal than Wimbledon in their assessment of acceptable tennis attire. Players at the U.S. Open, for example, often wear bright and expressive outfits.
The menstruation issue had been raised repeatedly by players and others in recent months.
Former Puerto Rican player Monica Puig tweeted in May about "the mental stress of having to wear all white at Wimbledon and praying not to have your period during those two weeks," in addition to how a period can affect a player's performance.
Australian player Daria Saville said she had altered her period specifically because of the tournament's dress code. "I myself had to skip my period around Wimbledon for the reason that I didn't want to worry about bleeding through, as we already have enough other stress," she told The Daily Aus.
"Imagine being a swimmer or a ballet dancer," she added. "Sometimes it just sucks to be a girl."
Likewise, British player Heather Watson told the BBC that she had gone on birth control pills to change her cycle so she wouldn't have her period during Wimbledon — both for fear of bleeding through her whites, and because of the cramping, bloating and fatigue that are typical period symptoms.
At July's Wimbledon tournament, a group of protestors wore red undershorts underneath white skirts, holding signs emblazoned with messages including "About Bloody Time."
Somewhat ironically, the rules about white clothing initially began as a measure to prevent sweat stains from showing on colored clothing.
While the issue may have only been discussed publicly in the last few years, the fear of bleeding onto one's tennis whites is nothing new.
"My generation, we always worried because we wore all white all the time," tennis legend Billie Jean King said in a recent interview with CNN. "And it's what you wear underneath that's important for your menstrual period."
"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," King said.
Wimbledon's new apparel rules will come into effect in July at the 136th staging of the tournament.
veryGood! (2852)
Related
- Halle Berry Rocks Sheer Dress She Wore to 2002 Oscars 22 Years Later
- The US housing slump deepened this spring. Where does that leave home shoppers and sellers?
- Review of prescribed fires finds gaps in key areas as US Forest Service looks to improve safety
- Kevin Durant sidelined by calf strain at Team USA Olympics basketball camp
- Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
- Kevin Durant sidelined by calf strain at Team USA Olympics basketball camp
- Judge who nixed Musk’s pay package hears arguments on massive fee request from plaintiff lawyers
- Teen safely stops runaway boat speeding in circles on New Hampshire’s largest lake
- Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are expecting their first child together
- The US housing slump deepened this spring. Where does that leave home shoppers and sellers?
Ranking
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- North Carolina can switch to Aetna for state worker health insurance contract, judge rules
- Christine Brown Shares Message About Finding Courage After Kody Brown Split
- Archaeologists in Chile race against time, climate change to preserve ancient mummies
- Stock market today: Asian shares meander, tracking Wall Street’s mixed finish as dollar surges
- John Stamos' 6-year-old son Billy plays drums at Beach Boys concert
- Taylor Fritz beats Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic gets into it with the crowd
- John Stamos' 6-year-old son Billy plays drums at Beach Boys concert
Recommendation
-
Mike Tyson impresses crowd during workout ahead of Jake Paul fight
-
Pretrial hearing sets stage for Alec Baldwin’s arrival in court in fatal shooting of cinematographer
-
Temporary worker drop may be signaling slowing economy
-
3 killed when small plane crashes in western North Carolina mountains, officials say
-
Jack Del Rio leaving Wisconsin’s staff after arrest on charge of operating vehicle while intoxicated
-
Norwegian Cyclist André Drege Dead at 25 After Bike Crashes Into Mountain
-
North Texas woman recalls horrifying shark attack on South Padre Island
-
Taylor Fritz beats Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic gets into it with the crowd