Why do players have to wear white at Wimbledon? Agassi famously boycotted event

Wimbledon is the most celebrated tennis tournament in the world and its traditions will return soon.

The All England Club tournament is heavily embedded in heritage with rules still in place from the first ever edition back in 1877.

One of the most famous features of SW19 remains the highly strict all-white dress code imposed on every player taking part.

It is well-known that tennis stars must don all-white outfits at Wimbledon, but the rules are also clear on the specific shade.

Tournament organisers even keep tabs on strips of colour that are wider than a single centimetre on headbands or shirt sleeves.

The often infuriatingly meticulous rules have been the subject of debate for years, with Andre Agassi infamously boycotting Wimbledon for three years to avoid following them.

Roger Federer was also warned about the orange soles on his shows.

Why do players have to wear white at Wimbledon?

Tennis whites date back to the origins of Wimbledon in the 1800s.

White was chosen as the uniform colour for a number of reasons as it reflects light better so therefore retains less heat.

It had practical reasons in that players wore white to avoid sweat patches appearing on coloured clothing.

White clothing was also a symbol of elitism as players who could take part in social tennis events had the money to keep their whites clean.

In 2014, Wimbledon updated their guidelines to clamp down on underwear that was visible and instead instructed it to be white.

However, following years of complaints from female tennis players who reported period anxiety, it has now been reconsidered.

From 2023, female stars can now play in coloured shorts under their white tennis skirts to reduce fears around their menstrual cycles.

Heather Watson said last year that she was delighted that Wimbledon have relaxed its strict dress code to ease the stress of women’s periods.

“When Wimbledon announced that about the under-shorts I was so happy because it makes such a big difference,” Watson said.

“I speak openly about my period and being on my period. I don’t think it’s a taboo subject. I would love for people to talk about it more, especially women in sport.

“So, when I heard this I was really happy because last year I went on the pill to stop myself bleeding because I knew we had to wear white under-shorts, and I didn’t want to face any embarrassment.

“We’re running around sweating, doing the splits on the court.

“This year I knew my period was going to be during Wimbledon again, so I’m very happy that I won’t have to do the same thing as last year. I think it’s a real positive and it’s really great. Really forward-thinking.”