Some female tennis players have reportedly been forced to play bra-less at Wimbledon 2014, due to the All England Club’s all-white policy.
In a new ruling, which Wimbledon 1987 winner Pat Cash has branded “archaic”, the club has cracked down on coloured clothing, only allowing 1cm of coloured trim.
Tournament referee Andrew Jarrett sent a letter to players prior to the tournament, which read: “Undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white and contain no more than 1cm of coloured trim.” Though the tennis tournament is well-known for the all-white clothing of its competitors, this seems like a stretch too far, and has seemingly resulted in female players taking to the courts without bras.
Speaking to BBC 5 Live, Cash said: “Some of the girls have been told to go back and change their bras and tops because they had slight colour on them.
“I believe some of the girls didn’t have suitable sports bras and had to go without them. It has absolutely gone ridiculous. It’s archaic thinking.”
Even if some of the women’s clothing didn’t match the All England Club’s specific instructions, upholding the rule to the point where you force them to take off their bras is completely inappropriate. Wimbledon is about tennis, not about underwear.
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