Wimbledon star had to swap bras with coach before rule change – 'You could see everything'
Wimbledon's dress code has seen a slight relaxation in recent years, with players now allowed to wear dark coloured undergarments - but it once proved problematic for Mihaela Buzarnescu
Mihaela Buzarnescu once had to borrow a bra from her coach at Wimbledon due to the tournament's strict dress code for competitors. The Romanian ace found herself in hot water with rule-makers ahead of her first round clash with Germany's Nastasja Mariana Schunk in 2022 when she turned up to the courts of SW19 in a black bra.
The problem was that at the time, Wimbledon's archaic policy stipulated that all competitors - male or female - had to be dressed in "suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white," including their underwear. Thankfully for the 37-year-old, her coach was on hand to lend her a replacement for the fixture.
Speaking about the issue in the aftermath of her 6-4, 6-2 win, she said: "My bustier was too black and could be seen up here (pointing to the bust area) and I had to change it.
"The white one I had was too transparent and you could see everything underneath and I couldn't wear it, so I borrowed from my coach, I took her bustier. That's good, we did it."
It's not the first time that Wimbledon's stringent dress code has caused problems for players either. For example, Anna Kournikova once needed to borrow a pair of shorts from her own coach during a practice session at Wimbledon after breaching the All England Club's rules.
Back in 2002, the Russian star was told off by officials for sporting a pair of black shorts during the session, showing no leniency whatsoever despite it being the final outing of her career at the London-based Grand Slam. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios walked onto Centre Court 20 years later with a red hat and matching shoes on, while Andre Agassi even went as far as to boycott the tournament from 1988 to 1990 due to a disagreement with the all white tradition.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion and 1992 Wimbledon winner later wrote in his autobiography: "I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules. Why must I wear white? I don’t want to wear white.
"Why should it matter to these people what I wear? Above all, I took offence at being barred and blocked and made to feel unwanted."
Officials have relaxed the rules of Wimbledon ever so slightly over the past couple of years, allowing for female competitors to wear dark-coloured undershorts while on court to alleviate fears while menstruating. However, players still have to ensure that the shorts aren't longer than their white shorts or skirts they wear on top.
However, that hasn't prevented officials from still being on high alert with regards to athletes conforming to the rules. For example, Jelena Ostapenko endured a brief spat with umpire Jamie Dawson following her 5-7 6-2 6-2 second-round doubles win over Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse alongside Su-Wei Hsieh at the weekend.
The 28-year-old appeared confused during the warm-up after she was questioned over her choice of clothing. When the umpire approached, she threw her hands into the air in frustration before lifting her skirt to reveal green undershorts, showing she was adhering to the dress rules.
Speaking about the rule change two years ago, All England Club Chief Executive Sally Bolton explained: "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.
"This means that from next year, women and girls competing at the Championships will have the option of wearing coloured undershorts if they choose. It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance."
Elsewhere, the tournament also allowed players to wear black ribbons in tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who tragically lost their lives in a car crash last Thursday. Francisco Cabral, Neal Skupski and Nuno Borges were among the tennis players who walked onto court wearing ribbons in tribute to the late Liverpool forward and his younger sibling.