Wimbledon could remove 'all-white underwear' rule for players
Better sense could finally prevail at Wimbledon as tournament organizers, in light of athletes' menstrual cycles, have agreed to discuss the possibility of relaxing a rule that makes it mandatory for players to wear only white-colored underwear.
There could be a change in the stipulation come the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, where the 'all-white clothing' rule will be limited only to the top layer of clothing. After a few players, including Serena Williams, were seen wearing colored underwear in the early 2010s, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) made it compulsory to wear only white underwear in 2014.
While the tournament was underway this season, some protestors lined up at the gates of the venue with a huge sign that read, "Address the dress code." As the debate grew, the AELTC recently released a statement 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, with manufacturers, and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that."
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray's mother Judy Murray also came forward and stated that nothing could be more traumatic for a player to experience a leak while playing.
“I think it’s certainly a much more open talking point but it would probably need more of the players to speak out openly about the trauma it can cause you 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,” Murray said.
“When all matches are televised and streamed now, it is something that needs to be considered. It’s one of those things, when something like that becomes a talking point, decisions have to be made on it,” she added.
She also emphasized the importance of having more women among the decision-makers since they understood the problems faced by female athletes better.
"However, it’s really important, too, that we have lots of women on the decision-making panel because they understand what that’s like to have menstrual cycles and they understand the fear of that happening while playing," she added.
Wimbledon is poised to relax its strict rule on all-white underwear after concerns about the anxiety experienced by female players during their menstrual cycles.
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"In the future, they might allow a little paint on the equipment" - When Novak Djokovic wagered bet on Wimbledon
In an interview during the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Novak Djokovic stated that he was open to changes in the tennis world. He said this in relation to the ATP's new rule of introducing on-court coaching.
The Serb also revealed that he made a bet with his coach that the tournament will allow colored clothing in the future.
"Here at Wimbledon, who could have guessed that they would allow players to train at the Central Stadium before the start of the tournament? I bet with Goran coach that in the future, they might allow a little paint on the equipment, and he says there is no chance. I am open to changes that can contribute to popularization," Djokovic said.