Wimbledon stars were forced to play braless until new underwear rule brought in
A number of female Wimbledon competitors had to play without a bra, sparking fierce debate around the tournament's strict underwear rules
The controversy that erupted at Wimbledon in 2014 over the strict underwear regulations, which led to various female athletes including British contender Naomi Broady playing braless, is now a memory of the past. Last year organisers decided to relax these stringent rules for the upcoming tournament, a decision that has been met with positive reactions from several top players.
Back then, the direction from Wimbledon's committee demanded perfection in white attire, extending to undergarments, save for a 'single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre'. Due to these rigid guidelines, Naomi Broady faced Caroline Wozniacki without the support of a bra, unfortunately bowing out of the competition in straight sets.
The inflexibility of the dress code drew ire from many, with 1987 Wimbledon winner Pat Cash vocally criticising the situation as 'ridiculous'. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he disclosed the dilemma many female competitors faced. "Some of the girls have been told to go back and change their bras and tops because they had slight colour on them," he said.
"I believe some of the girls didn't have suitable sports bras and had to go without them. It has absolutely gone ridiculous."
Now, after years of stringent whites, there's a sigh of relief as Wimbledon authorities have relaxed the dress code, particularly for female daredevils of the court, permitting coloured under shorts in this year's grand slam chapter.
The Australian tennis pro Daria Saville previously disclosed that the old dress code regulations forced her to skip her period due to anxiety it caused among female players, a sentiment echoed by Britain's Heather Watson. Thrilled with the updated rules, Watson lauded them in a statement to Sky Sports: "When Wimbledon announced that about the under-shorts I was so happy because it makes such a big difference.
"I speak openly about my period and being on my period. I don't think it's a taboo subject. I would love for people to talk about it more, especially women in sport."
Watson then detailed her relief at the recent changes: "So, when I heard this I was really happy because last year I went on the pill to stop myself bleeding because I knew we had to wear white under-shorts, and I didn't want to face any embarrassment."
She continued discussing the practicality of the change: "We're running around sweating, doing the splits on the court. This year I knew my period was going to be during Wimbledon again, so I'm very happy that I won't have to do the same thing as last year. I think it's a real positive and it's really great. Really forward-thinking."
