A Wimbledon star had to borrow her coach’s bra at All England in 2022 after her black sports bra violated the tournament’s strict all-white clothing rules
Mihaela Buzarnescu was once forced to borrow a bra from her coach at Wimbledon due to the tournament’s strict all-white dress code.
The Romanian player breached the regulations before her 2022 first-round encounter against Germany’s Nastasja Mariana Schunk when she turned up at the SW19 courts sporting a black bra. At that time, Wimbledon’s policy required that all competitors, both male and female, must wear “suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white,” including their undergarments.
Fortunately, Buzarnescu’s coach was available to provide her with a replacement bra for the contest. Following her 6-4, 6-2 victory, the 37-year-old explained: “My bustier was too black and could be seen up here (pointing to the bust area) and I had to change it.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
“The white one I had was too transparent and you could see everything underneath and I couldn’t wear it, so I borrowed from my coach, I took her bustier. That’s good, we did it.”
And it’s not the first or last occasion that Wimbledon’s demanding dress code has created difficulties. Anna Kournikova once had to borrow a pair of shorts from her coach during a practice session after violating the All England Club’s regulations.
During the 2002 Wimbledon championships, the Russian sensation received a stern reprimand from officials for sporting black shorts during her match – a strict approach considering it marked her final appearance at the Grand Slam. Jump ahead two decades, however, and Australian tennis maverick Nick Kyrgios flouted the regulations by sporting a vivid red cap and coordinating footwear on Centre Court.
During the late 1980s, tennis legend Andre Agassi adopted a more defiant approach, choosing to shun Wimbledon between 1988 and 1990 owing to his contempt for the all-white custom. Penning his memoirs, the 1992 champion and eight-time Grand Slam victor revealed: “I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules. Why must I wear white? I don’t want to wear white.
“Why should it matter to these people what I wear? Above all, I took offence at being barred and blocked and made to feel unwanted.”
Wimbledon has softened its stance marginally in recent years, allowing female competitors to don dark-coloured undergarments while playing to ease concerns about menstruation. Participants must, nevertheless, guarantee the undergarments don’t protrude beyond their outer white shorts or skirts.
That compromise hasn’t reassured officials, though, with umpires continuing to maintain a vigilant watch over proceedings. Last year, an on-court row erupted when Jelena Ostapenko confronted umpire Jamie Dawson before her second-round doubles victory alongside Su-Wei Hsieh against Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
The 28-year-old appeared perplexed during the warm-up when she was questioned about her outfit. As the umpire approached, she threw up her hands in frustration before lifting her skirt to reveal green undershorts, demonstrating that she was adhering to the dress code.
All England Club Chief Executive Sally Bolton discussed the rule change two years ago, stating: “We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best. I’m pleased to confirm that, following consultation with players and representatives of several stakeholder groups, the committee of management has taken the decision to update the white clothing rule at Wimbledon.
“This means that from next year, women and girls competing at the Championships will have the option of wearing coloured undershorts if they choose. It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance.”