Women In Tennis Are Ripping Wimbledon's All-White Dress Code As A Nightmare For Periods

Female tennis players and women at the Wimbledon Championships are challenging the tournament's all-white dress code as outdated, especially since it makes life that much harder for athletes who are menstruating.

The tournament has been enforcing these rules for 145 years, but critics say it's about time they loosen up their all-white rules to make the dress code more forgiving in 2022.

They argue that the rules are unforgiving for athletes who menstruate, and they can put a woman at a disadvantage depending on her cycle.

U.K. sports broadcaster Catherine Whitaker has been leading the charge this year, and her criticism has sparked a broader conversation about inclusivity in sports.

"If they had a clothing policy that affected men in the way that it does women, I don't think that particular tradition would last. I cannot imagine going into the biggest day of my life, with my period, and being forced to wear white," she said, according to The Telegraph.

Whitaker also brought up the topic on The Tennis Podcast, where she talked about Qinwen Zheng, an athlete who cited her period after a recent on-court collapse.

"I wish I can be a man on court," Zheng said after the match, per Australia's ABC News. "I really wish I can be [a] man [so] that I don't have to suffer from this."

Former tennis player and current sports broadcaster Monica Puig also weighed in.

"Definitely something that affects female athletes! Finally bringing it to everyone’s attention! Not to mention the mental stress of having to wear all white at Wimbledon and praying not to have your period during those two weeks," she tweeted.

British tennis player Heather Watson recently told BBC that the all-white dress code is a topic of conversation every year among female athletes, even if they don't say anything about it in public.

"I really like the tradition of it and I wouldn't want to change that," she said. "My only stress is that I get my period but I just plan my period around it."

Wimbledon has not addressed or responded to the criticism.

The tournament is now underway and runs until July 10.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.