From the rugged red clay of Roland-Garros, attention in the tennis world has rapidly shifted to the breezy grass courts of Wimbledon. The grass-court Major is the oldest tennis tournament and is well known, among other things, for having a strict dress code.
Players must wear clothing that is almost entirely white, with only a single trim of color (up to 1 cm wide) allowed on certain items. Even spectators are discouraged from wearing overly loud outfits.
However, there have been several instances where a player has defied the norms to leave a style statement at SW-19. On that note, let us look at five standout Wimbledon outfits that courted controversy.
#1. Anne White’s White Bodysuit in 1985:
Anne White did not have the most impressive tennis career, winning just one singles title and eight doubles titles. However, she was responsible for Wimbledon’s most iconic ‘fashion faux pas’ in 1985.
Taking on fellow American Pam Shriver in an outer court in the first round of the tournament, White turned up in a unique outfit that captivated the paparazzi: a one-piece, lycra body suit.
The all-American encounter had to be suspended due to bad light, and the tournament referee, Alan Mills, instructed the American to wear more appropriate clothing the following day, which she did. White eventually went on to lose the match in three sets, but her Wimbledon outfit is still well remembered four decades later.
40 years ago today, June 27, 1985: Anne White turns heads at The All-England Club when she sports a white body stocking in her first-round match against @PHShriver at Wimbledon. pic.twitter.com/q4nEjkoabr
— This Day In Tennis (@ThisDayInTennis) June 27, 2025
#2. Venus Williams in 2017
Venus Williams, a five-time champion at the All-England Club, is also well known for her outfits on the tennis courts.
Entering the 2017 championships as the No. 10 seed, the older Williams sister dispatched her first-round opponent, Elise Mertens, with relative ease. However, she was also involved in a controversial moment as her pink sports bra was visible and she changed her outfit during a break.
Wimbledon rules state that undergarments that are visible during play cannot be worn at the tournament. Later, journalists probed whether Williams had been asked to change her undergarments midway through the match. However, the former No. 1 clarified that she did not wish to speak on the matter.
“What pink bra? I don’t like talking about bras in press conferences. It’s weird,” Williams said in her post-match press conference.
“So I don’t want to talk about undergarments. It’s kind of awkward for me. I’ll leave that to you. You can talk about it with your friends. I’m going to pass,” she added.
Venus Williams beats Elise Mertens 7-6 6-4. To the second round. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/eFkvt0MDiV
— BetaOdds (@BetDodds) July 3, 2017
#3. Pat Cash in 1987
Pat Cash enjoyed his most memorable moment at Wimbledon in 1987, when he won the tournament after beating Ivan Lendl in the final. The Aussie also made waves in that tournament due to his black and white checkered bandana, which was far from meeting the grass-court Major’s dress code criteria.
Cash was the 11th seed at the tournament and booked his place in the final after wins over Marcel Freeman, Paul McNamee, Michiel Schapers, Guy Forget, Mats Wilander and Jimmy Connors. Here, he beat Ivan Lendl 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-5 to win his only Grand Slam title.
Anyway, here’s Pat Cash after beating Ivan Lendl at Wimbledon.
They both really should have been disqualified, I guess. pic.twitter.com/4J00IEsEk4
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) July 5, 2022
#4. Maria Sharapova’s Tuxedo Look in 2008
Maria Sharapova donned a top with a tuxedo design at Wimbledon 2008. Speaking about her outfit, the Russian said:
“It’s the tuxedo look. I was very inspired by menswear this year and every time at Wimbledon I want to do something classy and elegant.”
Sharapova, however, suffered a second-round exit at the grass-court Major that year after losing 2-6, 4-6 to Alla Kudryavtseva, who said that she was pleased to win because she did not like her compatriot’s outfit.
“Why? Well, I don’t like her outfit. Can I put it this way?” Kudryavtseva said.
#Wimbledon tuxedo 😍🤍🌱🎾 pic.twitter.com/EJtSuw0op7
— teamsharapova (@team_sharapova_) June 28, 2020
#5. Nick Kyrgios in 2022
Nick Kyrgios enjoyed his best Grand Slam run at Wimbledon 2022, as he reached the final. However, as we have often seen with Aussie, he often creates headlines due to his antics. At Wimbledon 2022, he was seen wearing red Air Jordan sneakers, which is not allowed at the grass-court Major.
Later, during the trophy presentation, Kyrgios wore a red cap. The Aussie’s accessories eventually saw him get a $16,000 fine. When asked about why he wore the red sneakers, he said:
“Because I do what I want.”
Here’s what Nick Kyrgios’ Air Jordans mean to Wimbledon’s dress code: https://t.co/EeW1s3ObKW pic.twitter.com/dZSyZiRrHL
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) July 8, 2022
