Why Do Players Wear White at Wimbledon? Inside the Tournament’s Strict Dress Code

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Roger Federer ; Naomi Osaka
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NEED TO KNOW​

• Wimbledon enforces a strict all-white dress code
• Some exceptions to the rule include dark undershorts and symbolic accessories
• Players like Naomi Osaka have incorporated fresh elements into their outfits while still adhering to the monochrome regulations

Amid the strawberries and cream, British royal family members and silent tennis matches, you may notice that every tennis player at the 2026 Wimbledon tournament is in white, thanks to the strict dress code.

As the first and oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon has long held a few of its Victorian-era traditions. One of the most notable rules — which requires players to wear “almost entirely white” attire, per the Wimbledon website — is believed to date back to when the first championships were held in 1877.

Over the many years of the tournament, there have been several changes and exceptions made to the strict rules to reflect modern times. However, the traditions are still widely adhered to today — and several players, like Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios, have broken the regulations over the years.

So, why do players wear white at Wimbledon? Here’s everything to know about the tournament’s strict dress code.

Why do players have to wear white?​

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US player Frances Tiafoe on the sixth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on July 4, 2026 in London, England.
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Sweat stains were particularly considered improper when the Wimbledon tournament first picked up steam in the 1880s, per Britannica.

White was believed to minimize the visibility of those stains, and thus, “tennis whites” became popular and enforced at Wimbledon.

What are the specific guidelines?​

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Serena Williams of the United States during Day Two of The Wimbledon Tennis Championships 2026 on June 30, 2026 in London, United Kingdom.
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There are nine official rules on clothing and equipment for players, all of which mention or reference the need to wear white. According to the guidelines, a player should always be wearing white when it comes to “all clothing, including tracksuits and sweaters” when practicing or playing on the championship’s courts.

Players cannot wear cream or shades of off-white and also have to have all-white shoes (including soles and laces), socks, undergarments, bandanas and medical equipment, unless it is “absolutely necessary” to be in other colors.

Exceptions to the all-white requirements include players being allowed to have a single trim of color on their uniform’s neckline, sleeve cuffs or accessories, if not wider than one centimeter.

Are there exceptions to Wimbledon’s dress code?​

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Francisco Cabral of Portugal on Day Five of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 on July 04, 2025 in London, England.
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In 2022, Wimbledon’s organizers, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) made an amendment to the undergarment rule by allowing female players to wear “solid, mid/dark-coloured undershorts” that are “no longer than their shorts or skirt.” The change was designed to make athletes who are having their periods more comfortable while playing.

“We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best,” Sally Bolton, the CEO of AELTC, told the Associated Press in November 2022. “It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance by relieving a potential source of anxiety.”

British tennis player Heather Watson told Sky News in July 2023 that she was excited about the rule change, as she took birth control the previous year to stop her cycle.

“I knew we had to wear white undershorts, and I didn’t want to face any embarrassment,” she added.

Over the years, exceptions have also been made in support of certain causes. In 2022, players who wanted to show their support for Ukraine against their invasion from Russia were permitted to wear blue-and-yellow ribbons, per The Guardian.

A similar exception was made in 2025 following the fatal car accident of 28-year-old Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota. Athletes were allowed to wear black armbands or ribbons in honor of his memory.

What happens if a player breaks the dress code?​

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American tennis star Karol Fageros displaying her 1959 Wimbledon look.
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Players are usually required to change on the spot if they’re spotted wearing anything other than the required attire. In the past, organizers have even brought out a tape measure to verify a trim’s width.

In the 1950s, American player Karol Fageros was banned from competing at Wimbledon due to gold undergarments she wore under her tennis skirt at the 1958 French Open, per TIME. However, Fageros was allowed back when she covered the underwear with white lace.

Have players broken the rules?​

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Venus Williams of USA on Day One of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships on July 03, 2017 in London, England.
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Throughout the years, players have accidentally — and not so accidentally — broken the strict dress guidelines.

During a 2017 match, Venus Williams’ pink bra strap peeked out from her white uniform. Williams never confirmed whether she was specifically asked by organizers to change — however, the pink undergarment seemed to disappear following a rain break in the second set.

“What pink bra? I don’t like to talk about bras or my underwear in press conferences, it’s embarrassing,” Williams said in a press conference following her match.

Other notable dress code violations included when eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer wore his limited-edition, orange-soled Nike shoes in 2013. Club officials told Federer after the match that he was no longer permitted to wear them, per ESPN.

In 2022, Kyrgios openly violated the rule when he wore red-and-white Nike Jordans to walk on and off the court, according to Complex. However, during his next match, he walked out in his all-white NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Pros.

Instead of violating the dress code outright, American player Andre Agassi boycotted the championship’s all-white requirement from 1988 to 1990. He later returned to compete in the competition in white in 1991, winning the Wimbledon title the next year in 1992.

“I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules,” Agassi wrote in his 2009 memoir, Open. “Why must I wear white? I don’t want to wear white. Why should it matter to these people what I wear?”

How have players complied with the rules in unique ways?​

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Naomi Osaka of Japan on Day One of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on June 29, 2026 in London, England.
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Over the years, several players have found unique ways to dress while complying with the strict dress code.

During the 2026 championships, Naomi Osaka wore a full-length dress inspired by traditional Japanese kimonos, complete with ruffles, embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms. The outfit was inspired by character Lucy Liu‘s kimono in Kill Bill and meant to represent her Japanese heritage.

“If I dive deeper into Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono,” Osaka told reporters at a post-conference interview. “You don’t have to see the color of a kimono to know that it is a kimono.”

She added, “I’ve never thought of the color white as restrictive … there’s so many different patterns, fabrics, textures that you can use. So I’ve never even thought of it as something that restricts me.”

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