Wimbledon has been accused of making a ‘total mistake’ over its strict uniform policy. Billie Jean King has slammed the tournament over rules that currently dictate that stars wear attire that is ‘almost entirely white’ when they are on court.
Various incarnations of the all-white tradition have been in place at the Championships since the first tournament in 1877. However, six-time singles champion King insists that television viewers struggle to tell the players apart when they are wearing the same kit. The 81-year-old has urged bosses to drop the tradition in what would be a radical change to the rules at Wimbledon.
Speaking to the Telegraph, King described the all-white attire as a “total mistake”. She dismissed suggestions that players can be differentiated by graphics telling television viewers who is serving.
King, who also won 10 doubles and four mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon, continued: “There’s a match that comes on, you sit down, and you look – let’s say it’s television – who’s who? Tennis people say: ‘Well, the mark is next to their name’ [to indicate who is serving]. I shouldn’t have to look at a mark, I shouldn’t have to look at anything. I should know [who’s who]. My sport drives me nuts.”
When it was put to King that the all-white tradition made Wimbledon ‘quintessentially British’, the six-time former champion responded: “But they shouldn’t have the same uniforms on. They both have white on. You can change tradition.”
At the first Wimbledon in 1877, there was no restriction on the colours that could be worn, but the rules stated that white was preferred. That was not changed for nearly a century, when in 1963 Wimbledon’s entry conditions were changed to state that players must wear “predominantly white” clothing throughout the tournament.
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In 1995, those rules were tightened further with players told they must wear “almost entirely white” clothing when on court. That included tracksuits, sweaters, and shoes. It was deemed acceptable to have a trim of colour but no wider than one centimetre.
Wimbledon then relaxed its rules slightly in 2023 to relieve anxiety for women experiencing their menstrual cycles. They are allowed to wear darker-coloured undershorts.
King, whose Wimbledon singles titles spanned from 1966 to 1975, wore dresses on court that featured blue and pink embroidery. She has previously suggested rule changes including names being printed on shirts with numbers, just like in football, believing that tennis would benefit from the commercial income.
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