Wimbledon will relax its strict rules on white clothing at championships and allow players to wear dark pants under the traditional white skirt, a claim made by several players who have admitted not feeling comfortable wearing white during their periods.
Grand Slam organizers have explained that the decision was made after lengthy discussions with the WTA women's tennis organizing body, manufacturers of clothing and medical equipment about the best way to support women and girls competing in the tournaments. “We are committed to supporting the 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.
"I am pleased to confirm that, after consulting with players and representatives of various interest groups, the Administration Committee made the decision to update the white dress rule at Wimbledon. "This means that starting next year, women and girls who competing in The Championships will have the option of wearing pants of other colors, if they wish.
"We hope this rule adjustment will help players focus solely on their performance on the court, thereby alleviating a potential source of anxiety." The organizers added that the requirements for the rest of the clothing, accessories and kits remain unchanged.
The debate about the use of white clothes arose in the last edition of Wimbledon, when several tennis players referred to the anxiety they suffered from being forced to compete in this color when they had their period. Coinciding with the women's final between Ons Jabeur and Yelena Rybákina, a group of activists even organized a protest outside the All England Club in which the protesters wore a white skirt over “blood red” shorts under the slogan ' Address the dress code', which urged the organization to change its dress code policy.
But tennis is not the only focus in which athletes have raised their voices. This summer the English Beth Mead also spoke out against wearing white pants for the same reason and this season there are already several clubs -including Manchester City- who have chosen to change the color of their pants to avoid anxiety for the players.
