Female tennis stars speak out against all-white Wimbledon dress code
Wimbledon, one of the most long standing and prestigious tennis competitions on the sporting calendar, is steeped in tradition, including a strict all-white dress code for its players.
While Nick Kyrgios came under fire for wearing red shoes and a red cap on the court, female players have spoken out about the anxiety the dress code causes when it comes to a common experience: periods.
Aussie player Daria Saville told The Daily Aus she has needed to skip her period as a result of the dress code, while others have spoken about the stress that comes from worrying about bleeding through their ‘Wimbledon whites’.
“Recently just being at Wimbledon, I was talking with my friends saying that I love the all-white look,” the no. 98 told the outlet.
“But then a few girls said they hate it because it sucks to wear all white while being on your period.
“It’s true, 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 stress.”
As we enter the last week of #Wimbledon, we think its time to have a real discussion around the all white dress code and how it feeds period shame amongst professionals and young girls. https://t.co/oKhDXB2Jo9
— holly (@hollygordonn) July 4, 2022
Wimbledon’s strict dress code was written in the 1880s, when any form of sweat on an athlete’s clothing was considered improper and rude, with “undergarments” that are visible or could be visible because of sweat also subject to the rule.
The all-white attire was believed to minimise the visibility of sweat while helping the players stay cool, according to SBS.
As beneficial as it may be to help players stay cool in hotter temperatures, its impact on female players seems to outweigh any benefits, with some athletes even turning to birth control to skip their period around the competition.
“I’ll probably go on the pill just to skip my period for Wimbledon,” British player Heather Watson recently told the BBC. “That’s the thought process and the conversation girls have around it.”
British star Alicia Barnett recently opened up about the mental stress of wearing white while on her period, all while also dealing with the accompanying symptoms that impact her performance.
In an interview with the PA news agency, she said that though she loves the tradition, “some traditions could be changed” in her opinion.
“I, for one, am a massive advocate for women’s rights and I think having this discussion is just amazing, that people are now talking about it,” Barnett said.
“Personally, I love the tradition of all-whites and I think we will handle it pretty well.
“I think being on your period on tour is hard enough, but to wear whites as well isn’t easy.”
Reflecting on the physical impact of menstruation on performance, Barnett told PA: “Your body feels looser, your tendons get looser, sometimes you feel like you’re a lot more fatigued, sometimes your coordination just feels really off, and for me I feel really down and it’s hard to get motivation.
“Obviously, you’re trying to play world-class tennis but it’s really hard when you're PMS-ing and you feel bloated and tired.
“Why do we need to be shy about talking about it?”
Former athlete Monica Puig addressed the issue on Twitter in May, responding to commentator David Law’s tweet where he revealed that he had never considered the physical impact of menstruation on athletes during his 25 years working in tennis.
“Definitely something that affects female athletes!” Puig wrote in response. “Finally bringing it to everyone’s attention! Not to mention the mental stress of having to wear all white at Wimbledon and praying not to have your period during those two weeks.”
Law is among a growing number of commentators also addressing the issue, including The Tennis Podcast host Catherine Whitaker, who has said the dress code has outlived its time and has called for the rules to be more flexible.
“I would like to see it change,” she said in one interview. “If they had a clothing policy that affected men in the way that it does women, I don’t think that particular tradition would last.
“I cannot imagine going into the biggest day of my life, with my period, and being forced to wear white.”
Image: Getty Images