Wimbledon is strict on its rules with the attire that players have to wear at the All England Club. All players have to abide by the all-white rules in which all of their attire from head to toe has to be white. A couple years ago, Roger Federer and Nike learned the hard way when his shoes broke the rules at the All England Club. How did he break the rules you ask? Well, the soles of his shoes were orange. Yes, when they mean everything has to be white, it means everything has to be white, down to the tiniest detail, maybe outside of logos

This year, once again, Nike has learned that Wimbledon has rules to follow, and this time color isn’t the issue. Every year, Nike makes different dresses for different players, and this year, they have the Premier Dress. Players who are set to wear the dress, with one of them being Eugenie Bouchard, have been asked to return their dresses for alterations.

The alteration that needs to be done is that the silhouette with the small swoosh did not cover enough skin. A spokesman from the tournament said that it originally was accepted because it complied with the tournament’s color policy.

Players Wearing Dress Have Troubles With It

During the qualifying tournament, players wearing the dress had troubles with the dress. Lucie Hradecka had to wear the dress with a white tank top underneath as well as white leggings. Kate Boulter had to wear a headband around her waist in order to keep the dress secure.

Critics on social media saw the dress called it an “entirely ridiculous campaign for competitive tennis” and “pretty much sleepwear as tennis dresses”. Bouchard, Laura Robson, and plenty of others will be wearing the dress which Nike asked their players to bring to the Nike Wimbledon House to make alterations such as lengthening it.

Serena with her dress from her own line (Nike.com)

Serena Williams’ dress had no such problems, which was also made by Nike. Her Nike Women’s Premier Serena SW19 Dress has a pleated skirt with two tiers in the back. The dress is also tighter on the body.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.