Wimbledon will relax its requirement for all-white clothing to allow female players to wear colored undershorts to be more comfortable on their periods.
Wimbledon’s strict policy about all-white attire for players is one of the best-known features of the grass-court grand slam tournament, but the All England Club said it decided to update the rules after discussions “with the WTA, clothing manufacturers and medical teams on how best to support women and girls competing at the championships.”
The new rules state that women can now “wear solid, mid/dark-colored undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt.”
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All other requirements for clothing and accessories remain unchanged, including the stipulation that “competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white.”
“We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best,” All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said.
“It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance by relieving a potential source of anxiety.”
The All England Club also said Wimbledon recorded its second-highest ever profit of $83 million in 2022, which trailed behind only 2019. Of that, 90 per cent will be distributed to the Lawn Tennis Association “for the benefit of British tennis.”
The move to relax the rule gathered steam following comments made by several women including former Olympic champion Monica Puig and Australian tennis player Daria Saville, who spoke about the “mental stress” caused by the all-white dress code and “skipping periods” as a result.
Earlier this month, tennis great Billie Jean King revealed wearing white while menstruating had been a concern of players for generations.
“My generation, we always worried because we wore all white all the time,” she told CNN’s Amanda Davies.
“And it’s what you wear underneath that’s important for your menstrual period.
“And 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.”
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