Wimbledon hint at plans to relax all-white underwear rule for 2023 edition following player and fan pressure
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Updated 08/11/2022 at 15:52 GMT
Wimbledon have hinted at plans to relax their all-white underwear rule for the 2023 edition of the event, saying they are "in discussions" with various stakeholders in tennis over "prioritising women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs". The tournament has come under pressure from players and fans alike in recent times to make the change.
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Wimbledon has hinted that they are close to relaxing their all-white underwear rule for 2023 after responding to player and fan pressure.
The All England Club, organisers of the tournament, released a statement in which they revealed discussions with various stakeholders in tennis that seem to point to the change happening for next year, albeit with nothing confirmed officially as yet.
Among those to have spoken out recently about the problems female players face is Judy Murray, and there was a protest by a group named 'Address the Dress Code' at last summer's Wimbledon, in which the individuals dressed in all white with red underwear.
The AELTC's statement read: “Prioritising women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs is very important to us, and we are in discussions with the WTA, manufacturers and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that.”
Murray, speaking to the Daily Mail, explained why the change will be significant as female players contend with their menstruation cycles.
She said: "One of the biggest problems previously in sport was that it was always white shorts, white kit and so on in lots of different sports. Everything was white. Nearly all sports have moved over to colour now.
"I think it's certainly a much more open talking point, if you are wearing all white and then possibly have a leak while you're playing. I cannot think of a much more traumatic experience than that.
"When all matches are televised and streamed now, it is something that needs to be considered. It's one of those things, when something like that becomes a talking point, decisions have to be made on it.
"However it's really important, too, that we have lots of women on the decision-making panel, because they understand what that's like to have menstrual cycles and they understand the fear of that happening while playing."
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