There is no doubting the spectacle of the biggest fixture on the tennis calendar, the Wimbledon championships.
A large part of Wimbledon’s charm is the fact that the championships are steeped in tradition and history.
A key tradition is that all players must strictly wear white from the point that they enter the court.
It is no surprise that Australian, Nick Kyrgios, decided to breach the rules during his fourth round victory against Brandon Nakashima on Centre Court on Monday. Kyrgios could be seen wearing a red cap and red trainers whilst on Centre Court. Resultantly, his actions will likely land him a fine. This will be his third fine to date at just this tournament alone!
We’re always fascinated by the power of clothing to influence people and to make an impact. Throughout Wimbledon’s rich history there has been many more instances where clothing has ignited debate:
The 15 Jacket
Never celebrate before you win! Roger Federer obviously didn’t get this memo in 2009.
The Swiss tennis legend sported a jacket after his semi-final victory with the gold number 15 embroidered into the garment. The 15 was in reference to the tennis player’s 15th Grand Slam win which he was yet to win!
Unfortunately, for Federer, he went on to lose to Novak Djokovic in the final and not win that 15th grand slam at Wimbledon.
Red Again
In a similar vein to Kyrgios’s red controversy this year, Tatiana Golovin found herself caught in controversy after wearing red on court.
Golovin opted to wear red shorts whilst competing instead of white. This was put to end in 2014 however, when there was a dress code update which required all garments of players to be white.
Tuxedo on Court?
Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, decided to make fun at the expense of Wimledon’s outfit guidelines in 2008.
Sharapova wore a tuxedo-style top during the tournament which many thought was a reference to the strict and rigid nature of the dress code.
Wimbledon is the only grand slam tennis tournament with strict outfit guidelines. The US and French Open have a more liberal dress code compared to Wimbledon, with colour allowed. The Australian Open is stricter in terms of the number of logos allowed and the “tennis specific” nature of the outfit.
Nike Dress Drama
This controversy stems from the tennis dress manufactured by Nike especially for the 2016 tournament.
This outfit was universally slammed by players and complaints included that it was “too revealing” and that the excess fabric negatively impacted the way a shot could be played.
This dress was only worn by two players in the 2016 tournament but was recalled by Nike just a few days into the tournament.
Catsuit Chaos
This outfit is very 80’s and is the most famous outfit controversy in Wimbledon’s history.
The catsuit stole all the headlines and was sported by Anne White in her 1985 first round match against Pam Shriver.
The all white lycra one piece catsuit was worn in combination with a blue bandana and baggy white leg warmers.
Rain called off the match but when play resumed the referee told White to wear something more appropriate.
White went on to lose the match but remained a winner in the hearts of the fans due to her unique outfit choice.
If you want to make a positive impression with your sportswear, we offer a whole range, and not just in white! We have sportswear which is suitable for a variety of sports. Customise your sportswear with our high quality print and embroidery applications which wouldn’t look out of place on centre court.
