The BBC have claimed that Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur was kicked off Centre Court prior to her clash with Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday, as the Tunisian broke tournament rules as she went out to warm up wearing a black outfit. The SW19 tournament has a strict dress policy that Jabeur appeared unaware of as she was told to go back inside and put on white clothes to warm up.
In recent years, Wimbledon have relaxed rules around what players can wear on court but the first clothing rule at the All England Club states: “Competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white and this applies from the point at which the player enters the court surround.”
BBC pundit Chris Evert suggested that Jabeur broke rules by being dressed in black instead. “And by the way, Ons was wearing all black on Centre Court and they kicked her off,” she said. “They kicked her off and made her put on white clothes. At Wimbledon you have to wear white! Even in the final of Wimbledon. I thought that was interesting.”
Wimbledon are yet to confirm whether Jabeur will receive any further punishment, having been told to change her outfit even before the final had begun.
Amid a row over the all-white dress code, last year the tournament confirmed that women are now permitted to wear dark-coloured undershorts should they wish to do so, amid growing pressure from players.
“We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best,” Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, said in a statement at the time. “I’m pleased to confirm that, following consultation with players and representatives of several stakeholder groups, the Committee of Management has taken the decision to update the white clothing rule at Wimbledon.
“This means that from next year, women and girls competing at The Championships will have the option of wearing colored undershorts if they choose. It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance by relieving a potential source of anxiety.”
Jabeur is playing in her second Wimbledon final, having been defeated by Elena Rybakina in 2022 but is hoping to go one step further this time around.
She is aiming to become the first African woman to win Wimbledon, having put her country on her back – though she was back out on Centre Court wearing all-white to comply with tournament rules.
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