Tennis fans are cyclically drawn to the evocative London grass: a perfectly manicured work of art cut to an exact 8 millimeter height. Racquet stars complete a unique scenario, wearing white uniforms from head to toe, according to the singular rules that have always distinguished this unique tournament.

In the various editions of the British slam, however, several athletes have defied this legendary rule with controversial outfits that, of course, have entered tennis history.

The all-white outfits of the tennis men and women are Wimbledon’s calling card-the symbol that, along with the green coats, is most etched in the collective imaginary. This rule dates back to the tournament’s origins. The decision to dress everyone strictly in white dates back to 1877, the year members of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club decided to organize the first edition of this event.

White is the color of aristocracies, of light, it evokes purity, order, softness, etc. All qualities that fit with the elegant air of Wimbledon’s luxury. That somewhat aristocratic atmosphere matched poorly with the players’ sweat, which was more visible on colorful shirts and shorts. This led to the idea of white: the color that best masks sweat stains. Over time this rule became a ten-detailed dress code, which today can be found on the official Wimbledon tournament website. Limits that someone, over time, decided to break. 

On July 5, 1980, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe step onto the center court at Wimbledon to rewrite tennis history, and turn a sport that until then was synonymous with classicism into pop music. Borg is quiet, calm, with long blond hair. McEnroe is irreverent, curly and always ready to explode. The outfit in that final, perhaps the most famous in Wimbledon history, violated the law that was in effect until then on the London grass. ‘The ‘Enfant Terrible’ of tennis, who never liked to submit to the rules, defied the code when he made his entrance on center court with a red headband encircling his hair. An iconic detail for a tennis icon. 

To find the first controversial women’s outfit in the history of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, we have to go back to 1985. Anne White, in her match against Pam Shriver, wears white but is forced to change her outfit for another reason: she wears a very white but also very tight-fitting jumpsuit. She manages to play only a few minutes in it. At the first change of the court, the referee calls her back and invites her to change. That outfit is considered inappropriate and not congruent with the Wimbledon stage. Despite the defeat, her outfit goes down in history.

If we opened a tennis almanac and looked up Andre Agassi’s tournament appearances, we would find nothing until 1991. The thick long hair, Mondrian-style T-shirts and unforgettable denim shorts could not exist on London’s grass. So the Las Vegas rebel decide to boycott Wimbledon multiple times. He doesn’t want to conform to the Slam’s dress code, he doesn’t want to be forced to wear what he doesn’t feel is his own. Eventually, Agassi, as well, has to obey the restrictive rule, and in 1992 he not only participates, but wins the tournament, in a watershed final of a career that, despite still being young, was already getting weighed down with a few too many curses.

Lingerie is featured in another episode that has become famous. In 2017 Venus Williams, who has triumphed five times at the tournament, was forced to change her bra during a match against Elise Mertens. The reason? The pink straps that were peeking out under her outfit. The immediate request for an outfit change comes during a rain suspension during the second set. After the match, Venus expressed disappointment, “What pink bra? I don’t like to talk about bras or my underwear in press conferences, it’s embarrassing.”

In school they would have said, he’s good but he doesn’t apply himself. Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios is considered by many to be one of the greatest talents of his generation. However, his career has been filled with broken rackets, hefty fines and irreverent gestures. In 2022, his fourth-round victory over Brandon Nakashima at Wimbledon is about to end without controversy, until the Australian player decides to break the dress code by wearing a cap and a pair of red Air Jordans to leave the court. Soon after, a reporter asked him why he had chosen to break the rules: “Because I do what I want. I’m not above the rules. I just want to wear my Jordans.”

The new world No. 1 is known for his composure and class…. That’s why he caused a stir when he walked onto Centre Court in 2023 with a luxurious Gucci duffle bag, attracting the attention of spectators and press alike. The South Tyrolean champion had become a brand ambassador for the Florentine fashion house a few weeks earlier and decided to let the world know about it during his first match on the London grass, which he won against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. 

Wimbledon’s strict dress code has always been a point of contention, and from the 1980s to the present, players have repeatedly challenged the limits of the total white rule. With the tournament just days away, we can’t wait to find out who will elude the rule this year.