Wimbledon relaxes all-white rule to allow women to wear dark underpants | Popgen Tech

Wimbledon plans to relax its all-white rule to allow female players to wear dark underpants if they choose to do so, organizers announced Thursday. It comes after Wimbledon and its organizers faced scrutiny over whether blood would be visible on the white clothing of menstruating players.

“We are committed to supporting players and listening to their feedback on how they can perform at their best,” All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said in a statement via CNN.

“I am pleased to confirm that following consultation with the players and representatives of several stakeholder groups, the Management Committee has decided to update the white dress code at Wimbledon.

“This means that from next year women and girls competing in the championships will be able to wear colored underpants if they choose. We hope this rule adjustment will help players focus solely on their performance, eliminating a potential source of anxiety. .”

Prior to the announcement, Wimbledon had a very strict white dress code for female players, which was originally started to help disguise sweat stains.

12-time Grand Slam champion Billie Jean King recently said the all-white dress code also makes it difficult for fans to tell the players apart.

“There is nothing worse in sports than when you turn on the TV and two players are wearing the same uniform or the same clothing. It’s terrible. Nobody knows who’s who,” King said in a recent interview with CNN.

“It’s one of my pastimes, I’ve been screaming for years. Have you ever seen a sport where people wear the same clothes on each side?’

The 2023 Wimbledon Championships will be held from July 3 to 16.