Comment Throughout Sunday’s three-hour Wimbledon final, Nick Kyrgios was on his best behavior — at least in terms of the tennis tournament’s ultra-strict dress code. Then it was time for him to accept his trophy. For the occasion, which came minutes after the Australian lost in four sets to defending champion Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios swapped his white cap for a bright red Nike Jordan cap, a move that defied nearly a century and a half of tournament tradition that required players to wear white clothing on the field. The Duchess of Cambridge, who presented Kyrgios with the runner-up trophy, did not react noticeably to Kyrgios’ faux pas. Other observers, however, were taken aback – especially as Kyrgios had erupted when wearing the red cap earlier in the tournament. A journalist called Kyrgios’ move “the ultimate act of contempt”. Others pointed out that Kyrgios could be fined. As of early Monday, a Wimbledon spokeswoman was unable to confirm whether Kyrgios had been suspended. The rule that players wear white on the tennis court dates back to the tournament’s inception in 1877. At the time, it was generally believed that sweating was inappropriate and that white clothing would either limit a player’s perspiration or hide it, he said. the Time. However, as times have changed, the dress code at Wimbledon has not relaxed. In fact, it has become stricter, with tournament officials even checking the color of players’ underwear during matches. Now, the rule is that players must wear “appropriate tennis attire that is almost entirely white … from the point at which the player enters the court environment.” Acceptable clothing “does not include off-white or cream” and colored trim around the neckline or sleeves “must not be wider than one centimeter”. There are other very specific guidelines, although some players this year were allowed to wear colors that support Ukraine. Far from its hydrophobic origins, Wimbledon has more recently embraced the all-white rule as a “great leveler” and a way to “let tennis and the players stand out”, rather than their clothes. But even the game’s greatest champions have challenged the rule. Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer said in 2014 that the dramatic tightening of the dress code that year was “too strict,” the New York Times reported. A year earlier, Federer was forced to change shoes after wearing a pair with orange soles during his first-round match, according to the Associated Press. Before winning Wimbledon in 1992, American Andre Agassi had boycotted the tournament, shunning its traditional character and dress code. “Why do I have to wear white? I don’t want to wear white,” Agassi wrote in his memoir in 2009. “Why should it matter to these people what I wear?” This year, protesters appeared at the tournament’s main gates, demanding organizers change the dress code because female players may feel anxiety wearing all-white clothing when they are menstruating, according to the Guardian. The protesters wore white T-shirts and red shorts — outfits modeled after Tatiana Golovin, a French player who in 2007 got away wearing bright red shorts on the grass at Wimbledon. While Kyrgios is not alone in rejecting Wimbledon’s dress code, he has rankled observers in other ways. He was fined $10,000 in late June for spitting at a spectator who Kyrgios said was kicking him out. During his match with Djokovic on Sunday, Kyrgios chased the chair umpire to remove a distracting spectator who he said looked like he had “700 drinks” and was fined $4,000 for audibly swearing at during the match. Following his fourth-round win over Brandon Nakashima last week, Kyrgios sported a red Nike cap along with a pair of red and white Air Jordans. After the fight, a reporter asked Kyrgios why he would defy the rules. “Because I do what I want,” replied Kyrgios. Don’t the rules apply to him? “I love wearing my Jordans,” Kyrgios said.
