Why do tennis players wear all white kit at Wimbledon? Dress code explained

Thousands of tennis lovers have headed to Wimbledon to mark the first day of the 2024 championships.

Today, the world’s most elite tennis athletes are kicking off two weeks of matches at the coveted All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon.

As is tradition, reigning men's champion Carlos Alcaraz will defend his title during the first match on Centre Court today, going head-to-head against Mark Lajal.

British champion Emma Raducanu will also face her first game of the tournament against Renata Zarazua.

This year, there’s still uncertainty about whether Andy Murray will officially take part and is expected to make a decision this evening. Moreover, world number three Aryna Sabalenka has already pulled out because of a shoulder injury.

From The Queue to strawberries and cream, there are a lot of age-old traditions that have long been associated with the Wimbledon Championships.

The athletes’ white clothing — and even the soles of their shoes — is also one of them. Here’s why.

Carlos Alcaraz in action against Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final in last year’s Wimbledon Championships (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Archive)

Why do tennis players have to wear all white kit at Wimbledon?

There’s actually a long list of rules about clothing that Wimbledon players have to abide when playing at the championships.

According to the Wimbledon site, “competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white and this applies from the point at which the player enters the court surround”.

There are also specifications about the type of branding and decoration allowed on the clothing, and all accessories must also be white. Even the type of white is specified, with cream or off-white also being prohibited.

But why?

Well, apparently, it’s all down to tradition. Players at Wimbledon have worn white since the 1800s as it was seen as the most suitable colour against sweat stains.

The one key exception to this was introduced in recent years, allowing female players to wear black undershorts to feel more comfortable if they were on their periods.

(PA)

What are the other Wimbledon dress code rules?

Everything needs to be tennis white, but athletes can have a single trim of colour around the neckline, sleeves and seams. This includes caps, headbands, bandanas, wristbands and socks as well as shoes and shoelaces.

Athletes are also advised against wearing big logos and branding on their clothing, but small sponsor logos are permitted.

It’s also important that the tennis players wear the right shoes to protect the grass courts from any damage, such as leaving marks on the ground.

The rule book says: “The Referee has the authority to determine that a shoe does not meet these criteria and may order the player to change.”

The rules are so strict that it’s not unheard of for the world’s best athletes to be told off for not getting the ‘all white’ memo.

This included Roger Federer, who wore orange-soled shoes in the opening match of Wimbledon 2013 before being told by organizers he needed to change them before the next match.

Federer was ordered to use different shoes (Getty Images)

Register now for one of the Evening Standard’s newsletters. From a daily news briefing to Homes & Property insights, plus lifestyle, going out, offers and more. For the best stories in your inbox, click here.