Billie Jean King’s ‘pet peeve’ is Wimbledon’s ‘horrible’ all white uniform policy
With Wimbledon under threat of having its men’s singles final for the first time in 12 years cancelled, organisers have announced they will be introducing the all-white uniforms for the men’s semi-finals by making the white shirts all over them, with a similar approach for the women’s semi-finals.
That change, aimed at making the semi-finals as easy on the eyes as possible, has been met in some quarters with horror.
Wimbledon’s ‘pet peeve’ is Wimbledon’s ‘horrible’ all white uniform policy
It’s a move with some serious implications, not least because it will mean white is now the colour of choice for the women’s outfits.
With the semi-finals all at Wimbledon, women’s singles final was played here for the first time in 12 years in 1998.
The all-white outfits had been worn last year by the women’s quarter-finals.
Now they will be worn by the women’s semi-finals, which will be played in the same day’s semi-final match.
The move comes in the wake of two controversies surrounding Wimbledon – the first involving the use of all-white outfits for the women’s semi-finals and the second involving the decision by the London club to make a stand in its defence of the all-white outfits in the men’s singles final, which is slated to take place at the same time.
The move to all-white outfits is aimed at making the semi-finals as easy on the eyes as possible
The decision by Wimbledon – the only women’s semi-finalist in men’s singles – to dress all white last year was met with derision, with many tennis clubs suggesting the move had damaged their tournament.
But the controversy over the men’s semi-finals is a different story.
The men’s singles is now the subject of three lawsuits, with the first against then president of Tennis Australia, Paul McNamee, accusing him of being complicit in the decision to make Wimbledon’s men’s single semi-finals a ‘white out’.
The second is being brought by Australian and British men’s singles players in the hope of being able to play the men’s singles final at Wimbledon.
The third is brought on behalf of US players, who are
