To call the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club a stickler for tradition would be an understatement. Till 2002, players were required to curtsey to the Royal Box on the Centre Court. The Duke of Kent, who is also the club’s president, discontinued the ritual, deeming it anachronistic.

The pristine white outfits are a different story altogether. The strict rules (failing which a player can be disqualified) make the Wimbledon whiter than this year’s Oscars.

The archaic custom is rooted in the Victorian era when tennis was a sport for the cultured, to be played at social gatherings. Now, sport equals sweat equals inappropriate patches on coloured clothing. Enter the ‘tennis whites’.

The archaic custom is rooted in the Victorian era when tennis was a sport for the cultured.

Cut to 2014, when a 10-part decree was introduced in the rulebook which states that “white does not include off-white or cream” and allows only “a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre.” The rule now covers caps, headbands, bandanas, wristbands, shoes and even “any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration).”

Players have to send sample of their clothing to the club for approval at least 90 days in advance.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the resident Lady Gaga of tennis expectedly has had trouble following the code. The colourful American – what with the dyed hair, tattooed arm and black warpaint – said that the “rules have become ridiculously strict.”

“I mean, you can’t even wear off white or cream. I was going to joke about that. I was like, man, if you wash your whites too many times, they will be illegal. Better be washing it in cold water.”

But Mattek-Sands, who “didn’t even get married in white”, isn’t one to give up easy.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands said that the “rules have become ridiculously strict”. (AP Photo)

Eugenie Bouchard, the 2014 finalist, was cautioned for wearing a black bra.

There’s no leeway for tennis royalties either. Seven-time champion Roger Federer was banned from wearing orange-soled shoes in 2014.

Roger Federer was banned from wearing orange-soled shoes in 2014. (Getty Images)

“I just find it quite extreme to what extent it’s gotten to white. We’re talking white like it was in the ‘50s,” said Federer last year. “The thing is, when I was watching on TV, I still have the pictures in my mind where Edberg and Becker and all those guys, they had more colour.”

Strangely, former greats Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Stefan Edberg got away with more colour on centre court. (Getty Images)

The colourful yesteryears were courtesy of a relaxation in rules in 1963, when the players were asked to wear ‘predominantly in white’ clothing.

Predominantly, however, didn’t cut it for the rebel that was Andre Agassi, who famously skipped Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 because his signature denim shorts weren’t allowed. The American ultimately came around and won the tournament in 1992.

One would think that the All England Club would further relax the rules, right? Nope. In 1995, the rule was updated (read: tightened) to allow “almost entirely white” clothes.

And two years back, the “predominantly” and “almost entirely” were quantified as 1 centimetre.

For both designers and players alike, the 1cm coloured strip is room enough for experimentation. It might be all-white, but over the years Wimbledon has seen more than just the regular collars, pleats and classic cuts. There have been designs aplenty – both good (Federer’s gold man bag and military style jacket from 2009) and bad (this year’s disastrous ‘baby-doll’ kit.)

For both designers and players alike, the 1cm coloured strip is room enough for experimentation.

Read: Nike’s revealing ‘baby doll’ dress for Wimbledon draws flak from players

Thankfully, save for Anne White’s cat-suit, there has been no true ‘ugly’ fashion moment at Wimbledon.

Same can’t be said for the French Open though. Zebra tops, anyone?

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Wimbledon.com
By Helen Gilbert at Roehampton

Bethanie Mattek-Sands knows a thing or two when it comes to fashion, however the thinking behind her tennis ensemble on Thursday was ‘comfort’ rather than style.

Earlier in the week she’d teamed a floaty pleated skirt with her trademark long compression socks but for her match against friend and No.11 seed Shahar Peer she donned a pair of shorts instead.

“This is my comfortable outfit,” the American revealed following her 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Israeli. “It’s surprisingly pretty warm here but a little humid so I’ve been sweating a good amount.”

Mattek-Sands certainly looked at ease from the off producing sumptuous ground strokes that left her 28-year-old opponent looking decidedly out of sorts – within 22 minutes she’d rattled through the first set dropping only one game.

However, the American was all too aware that Peer – a former world No.11 – would move up a gear when it mattered and once the Israeli returned to the court following a brief toilet break at the end of the first set she was in a different league, attacking virtually every ball that came her way.

“Shahar’s a good player,” Mattek-Sands told wimbledon.com. “I was playing really well and she stepped her game up. She wasn’t about to give that match away, she’s a fighter. I’ve played doubles with her and I’m friends with her so I know she’s not going to just roll over.”

Peer, sporting two black ankle braces, looked solid in the second set until the ninth game when the underdog piled on the pressure with a forehand winner into the left wing to set up two break points.

I’m really happy with how I’m playing and how my body’s feeling.

– Bethanie Mattek-Sands

The 30-year-old squandered the first, mis-hitting a ball off the frame but Peer – who is ranked 37 places above Mattek-Sands – would go on to hit a forehand wide to gift the current Australian Open and French Open ladies’ doubles title holder the crucial break.

One game later, Mattek-Sands had closed out the match with a deft drop shot winner on her third match point.

“I was playing really well and think it was still only a couple of points here and there [that made the difference]”, Mattek-Sands said.

“It’s great to qualify. It’s always good to make a Main Draw and these are my first couple of matches on grass. I feel like it was a really good warm-up, I have a couple of days before Main Draw, I’m really happy with how I’m playing and how my body’s feeling.”

The world number 157 now plans to take a day off, although she joked that her coach may have other ideas, and she will turn her attention to fashion once more when she prepares for the WTA pre-Wimbledon party tonight.

Does she know what she is wearing yet? Over the years Mattek-Sands has worn various eye-catching threads including a canary yellow dress made of tennis balls.

“I don’t have it planned but I have a great designer that I get stuff from here in London so I’m going to go see what she’s got,” she smiled.

Another seed to tumble was China’s Yafan Wang, who sported neon pink strapping to her left shoulder. The No.16 seed’s dreams of reaching the Main Draw were extinguished by the world No.242 Tamira Paszek. Neither player was prepared to give an inch during the lengthy baseline affair, which saw both scrambling to reach penetrating drives. Ultimately, the experience of the Austrian, who reached a career high of 26 in February 2013, told and she scored a 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-5 victory in two hours and 32 minutes.

Sachia Vickery

It was business as usual in the top half of the draw. Unseeded Mandy Minella, who had claimed the scalp of top seed Lourdes Dominguez Lino in the second round, was unable to continue her fairytale run against No.20 seed German Laura Siegemund, falling 4-6, 3-6.

American Jessica Pegula, who had yet to win a match on merit alone after both her opponents in the previous rounds retired, was defeated 5-7, 5-7 at the hands of countrywoman and No.4 seed Sachia Vickery.

No.5 seed Margarita Gasparyan qualified with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over Veronica Cepede Royg.

However, China’s Yi-Fan Xu knocked out No.3 seed Louisa Chirico with a 7-5, 6-3 win and No.8 seed Ying-Ying Duan also flew the flag for China with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Anna Tatishvili.

Fellow countrywoman Zhaoxuan Yang fared less well in her campaign. She only managed to scrape together four games on the way to a 2-6, 2-6 defeat dealt by No.13 seed Richel Hogenkamp.

And although compatriot Shuai Zhang initially looked as though she would go the distance, her No. 22 seeded opponent Aliaksandra Sasnovichrecovered from a set down to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 45 minutes.

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