Wimbledon is a tournament steeped in tradition.
But if five-time All England Club queen Billie Jean King was in charge, there’s one rule she would do away with quicker than a booming first serve.
Since 1995, Wimbledon’s organisers have enforced a strict dress code rule which demands both male and female players must wear ‘almost entirely white’ clothing.
They are permitted to wear colour, but it cannot be wider than one centimetre.
The 1995 tweak to the rule marked a change from the tournament’s entry conditions in 1963, which said players had to wear ‘predominantly white’ clothing.
In an interview with The Telegraph, King, who first tasted Wimbledon glory via the ladies’ doubles title as a 17-year-old in 1961, believes the all-white clothing leaves viewers scratching their heads when trying to work out who is who on the court.
“There’s a match that comes on, you sit down, and you look – let’s say it’s television – who’s who,” King said.
“Tennis people say: ‘Well, the mark is next to their name’ [to show who is serving].
“I shouldn’t have to look at a mark, I shouldn’t have to look at anything. I should know [who is who].
“My sport drives me nuts.”
One man who would welcome King’s change is Australian star Nick Kyrgios.
During his run to the final at SW19 in 2022, Kyrgios was handed a $16,000 fine when he embraced his inner Michael Jordan.
Kyrgios copped a five-figure fine for two controversial items of clothingAFP“I wore a red Jordan hat and red Jordans (shoes) just walking out there,” Kyrgios said.
“Predominantly, you have to wear all white. I got fined about $16,000 for wearing a red hat and then my red Jordan’s.”
As for how King would shake up the outfit game, she believed there should be far more personalisation allowed for players.
“I’d have merch with their names on the back so they’d make money, the tournament makes money, everybody makes money,” King said.
“We’re losing out on millions and millions because of that.
“Numbers are really important! Kids love numbers and they can retire numbers – like a Federer.
Seeing the likes of Djokovic and Alcaraz with numbers on their back would take getting used toGetty“It’s so obvious. Take what other sports are doing and what people like from other sports.”
At present, no tennis players wear outfits with their name or a number on the back.
However, some sports who traditionally did not have a name or number on the back of the uniform have tweaked their rules in recent years.
During the men’s Six Nations in 2024, players had their names on the back of their shirts for the first time as opposed to just their numbers.
Names and numbers were introduced onto the back of shirts in Test cricket during the 2019 Ashes series, bringing an end to 142 years of tradition where players would wear plain cricket whites and were distinguishable via their respective national team branding.
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