French ace Tatiana Golovin stood up to Wimbledon’s archaic dress-code by wearing red knickers during a match at SW19 in 2007.
Plenty of stars have tried to bypass the All England Club’s strict rules on clothing over the years, but few have ever managed to get away with it. British favourite Naomi Broady was forced to play without a bra in 2014, while two junior players had to change their underwear after violating the dress-code in 2017.
But Golovin defied the rules with her red ensemble 15 years ago. The former Rolland Garros Mixed Doubles champion entered the court wearing tomato-coloured undergarments and a dress with red stitching at the waist.
Given some of the attire that has been rejected at Wimbledon over the years, it would have surprised no-one if the French tennis ace had been told to change before the match.
But according to Reuters, Golovin was given the go-ahead after intense discussions about hemlines and where they stopped and started.
Explaining the decision, a Wimbledon spokesman said at the time: “They were cleared with the referee in advance by the player.
“On the basis that they are underwear, they do not have to conform to the predominantly white rule. If they are above the hemline they are deemed to be underwear and not shorts.”
However, Wimbledon’s dress-code now states something different. According to rules on the tournament’s official website: “Any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre (10mm).”
