Wimbledon relaxes all-white dress code to ease stress of women’s periods

Wimbledon is relaxing 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 had 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.’ 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,” Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club had said last year. “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 47.1 million ($55.5 million) in 2022, which trailed behind only 2019. Of that, 90 percent will be distributed to the Lawn Tennis Association “for the benefit of British tennis.”

Former British World No. 1 Heather Watson welcomed Wimbledon’s decision to relax its strict dress. The all-white clothing has been synonymous with Wimbledon since ages and is in the most unique features about the competition.

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

“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.”