Tennis star Jelena Ostapenko lifted up her skirt in protest at Wimbledon after she was questioned by an umpire over the dress code.
Wimbledon carries a lot of traditions
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly just called Wimbledon, is an annual tennis tournament that takes place in London, England, and was founded in 1877.
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This year is the 138th edition of the tournament, so you can imagine it carries a lot of tradition behind it.
One of those traditions is the dress code
Wimbledon is famously known for its strict dress code policy where players are only allowed to wear white.
Many players have gotten in trouble over the years for adding any color to their clothes.
It was only adjusted recently
The strict dress code was recently relaxed for the first time in 148 years after the tragic death of 28-year-old Liverpool football player Diogo Jota, per CNN.
Fellow athletes at Wimbledon were allowed to wear a black armband in tribute to Jota, who passed away on July 3rd, only two weeks after his wedding.
Another change was made back in 2023
A more permanent change to the dress code was also made back in 2023 where female players are now allowed to wear darker color undershorts to ensure privacy.
But an umpire seemed to have forgotten about the rule change on Friday, July 4.
He seemed to ask an athlete about her clothes
Latvian grand-slam winner Jelena Ostapenko was due on court 14 on Friday for a doubles match with partner Hsieh Su-wei against Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
She was approached by umpire Jamie Crowson who seemed to question her outfit choice prior to the match.
She lifted up her skirt in protest
Upon being questioned, the 28-year-old threw out her hands in frustration and lifted up her skirt to reveal some green undershorts.
The rule for all-white outfits was changed two years ago, confirming that female players would be allowed to wear darker color undershorts for their privacy and to reduce worries for those on their period.
The change was confirmed by the organizers
At the time, All England Club Chief Executive Sally Bolton said, “We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best.”
“I’m pleased to confirm that, following consultation with players and representatives of several stakeholder groups, the Committee of Management has taken the decision to update the white clothing rule at Wimbledon.”
The rule adjustment is in effect
“This means that from next year, women and girls competing at The Championships will have the option of wearing coloured undershorts if they choose,” Bolton had said.
“It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance by relieving a potential source of anxiety.”
Thankfully, the pre-match row was quickly forgotten, but it was certainly an unexpected moment of tension.
