When we talk about tradition, prestige and style we can't help but think about Wimbledon, the world's oldest tennis tournament played on grass courts, which has just started in the south of London.
On the court the best players of the circuit, on the stands England's aristocracy, but what makes the tournament really unique and special ("The Vatican of tennis" to quote Giorgio Bassani) is the style and the rituals. The meticulous selection of the ballboys, the strawberries as dessert served with white cream, the maniacal caring of the grass and the dress code that since 1877 has been requiring to the players to dress only in white. These are all unwritten rules - extended also to the fans, the trainers and the teams - that have gradually become more restricting (colorful patches or sponsor logos are not allowed), which force to conform, preventing from showing off personal or colorful kits, which might lead to reproaches or fines. But everyone knows that tennis players are crazy horses and looking back at the history of the tournament we found some amazing outfits that challenged the strict British rule. We chose the 10 most remarkable ones, both for gentlemen's and ladies.
Gertrude Moran, 1949
Wimbledon has always been famous for austerity, we can just imagine the shock that Gertrude Moran's dress created back in 1949: the Californian tennis player is considered a pioneer when it comes to fashion and sexuality in the tennis world. During that match, her very short skirt wasn't hiding her underwear at all, shocking all the audience, absolutely not used to see so much skin.
Anne White, 1985
We hardly see anything like this on a tennis court (recently Serena Williams wore something similar, but only for medical reasons): the incredible jumpsuit by Pony worn by another American player, Anne White. The match that saw her battling against Pam Shriver was later suspended due to darkness and the judge suggested White not to wear it again the next day.
Pat Cash, 1987
A classic item seen on the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is without a doubt the hair band, or even better, the bandana. Among the most scenic ones we include the ones worn by Arnaud Clement and Greg Rusedski, but especially the checkered bandana rocked by the Australian Pat Cash, winner in 1987.
Andre Agassi, 1992
'The Kid' was able to win Wimbledon only once, in 1992, but it's a known fact that in the previuos years he was reluctant to play there exactly because of the strict dress code, that didn't really suit his rebellious personality.
Rafael Nadal, 2005
The Majorcan tennis player debuted on the English grass in 2005: at only 19 years old he showed up with his usual sleveless T-shirt and capri pants, very distant from the British taste and etiquette, and the outfit wasn't very appreciated by the crowd. But Nadal kept playing with a similar outfit even in the following years, also when he won in 2008.
Maria Sharapova, 2008
Wimbledon champion in 2004, Maria Sharapova's not very formal dress by Nike worn during the 2008 tournament is still remembered. She wore it only for two matches though, since she was eliminated at the second round by the fellow countryman and unknown Kudryavtseva.
Serena Williams, 2008
The infinite variety of dresses worn by Serena and her sister Venus would deserve a special mention: Williams sisters basically created the trends and the fashion in Wimbledon, ending up actually designing their own clothes. Among the numerous remarkable outfits, we chose the Nike jacket worn by Serena in 2008.
Roger Federer, 2009
The eight-times Wimbledon winner who recently left Nike for Uniqlo has rocked many unforgettable outfits but the super cheesy gear with golden inserts worn in 2009 is something else. Not to mention the bag and the pre-match jacket...
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 2011
Although not very successful, the career of the American player (the Lady Gaga of the circuit) was often a treat for all the fans, especially for her crazy outfits. In 2011 she took it to the next level with a jacket made especially to make the crowd go nuts.
Nick Kyrgios, 2017
A 'borderline' personality like Nick Kyrgios couldn't be missing in this special top ten of the most extravagant Wimbledon looks. During last year's edition, in fact, the Australian player was photographed during the training practice wearing a Tottenham jersey, conforming to the white dress-code required also outside the courts. The habit of wearing football shirts is quite common for tennis players: just a few days ago Aljaz Bedene, Slovenian player and former English citizen, was spotted training wearing a Harry Kane jersey.
