Tennis Stars Speak Out About Wimbledon Dress Code and Its Impact on Women Athletes

 

Today marks the return of the annual Wimbledon Championships, and participants have made it clear that they are prepared to update the tournament's long-standing customs, particularly those that disproportionately disadvantage female athletes, such as the clothing code. Wimbledon's rigid requirement for all-white attire has been in place since the Victorian era, but it is currently under scrutiny.

Any evidence of perspiration was first prohibited because it was deemed "rude or indecent." When you consider the actual concern players have of menstrual blood appearing through their skort, it's difficult to resist rolling your eyes at that concept. Tennis commentator Catherine Whitake said in an interview with The Telegraph, "I cannot image going into the biggest day of my life, with my period, and being compelled to wear white." In response to the discussion, former Olympian and tennis star Monica Puig tweeted about the pressure of competing in a tournament while wearing white.

The effect periods can have on athletes is largely disregarded by the present dress regulation. Tennis player Qiwen Zheng revealed last month how menstruation cramps impacted her game. According to CNN, after Zheng's humiliating loss to Iga Witek at the French Open, she informed reporters that she was unable to play tennis because her stomach was in too much discomfort. "I wish I could act like a man in court so that I wouldn't have to deal with my stomach ache. I believe I could enjoy myself more if I ran faster and hit harder "She continued, "

Another factor that disproportionately affects female athletes is the attire. During a game, players are permitted to leave the court twice to use the restroom (while doubles teams must share their allocated number of breaks). The restricted restroom breaks at Wimbledon emphasize even more how periods are not taken into account during the competition. Athletes are forced to devise their own workarounds due to the lack of recognition, such as wearing extra pads, intentionally employing larger-size tampons, or taking birth control.

Despite enjoying the custom of donning white, British tennis player Heather Watson tells BBC Sport that scheduling her period around the competition may be difficult and "annoying."

"For Wimbledon, I'll probably start taking the pill to skip my period. That is how girls are thinking about it and talking about it, "she claims.

Not only female athletes feel the dress code is excessively restrictive. Tennis stars Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal have pushed the envelope in terms of what they dress in order to communicate their dissatisfaction. Agassi went so far as to boycott Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 in order to express his position. Their argument, however, has its roots in the freedom of stylistic expression.

One step toward creating a more welcoming environment for professional tennis players is changing the clothing code. Wimbledon has not yet responded to any of the remarks made by these players. There doesn't seem to be any indication of change, and there are no active petitions or policy initiatives.