Mihaela Buzarnescu was forced to borrow a bra from her coach at Wimbledon in 2022 after her black sports bra violated the tournament's strict all-white clothing policy. The Romanian player discovered the issue before her first-round match against Germany's Nastasja Mariana Schunk, when officials deemed her undergarment non-compliant.
Emergency Wardrobe Change
Wimbledon's dress code requires all competitors to wear "suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white," including undergarments. Buzarnescu's black bra was visible through her white top, prompting a last-minute swap. Fortunately, her coach provided a replacement. After winning 6-4, 6-2, 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. 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."
Historic Dress Code Controversies
Wimbledon's all-white rule has sparked incidents for decades. In 2002, Anna Kournikova was reprimanded for wearing black shorts during a match, her final appearance at the Grand Slam. Two decades later, Nick Kyrgios defied the rule by wearing a red cap and coordinating shoes on Centre Court. In the late 1980s, Andre Agassi boycotted Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 due to his disdain for the all-white policy. In his memoir, the eight-time Grand Slam champion wrote: "I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules. Why must I wear white? I don't want to wear white."
Recent Rule Relaxation
Wimbledon has softened its stance. Since 2023, female players are allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts to ease concerns about menstruation, provided the undergarments do not protrude beyond outer white shorts or skirts. However, umpires remain vigilant. In 2023, Jelena Ostapenko confronted umpire Jamie Dawson during a doubles match warm-up, lifting her skirt to show green undershorts and prove compliance. All England Club Chief Executive Sally Bolton stated: "We are committed to supporting the players... following consultation, 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."
