It’s the most wonderful time of year: the final weekend of Wimbledon is upon us. Over the past week and change, the best tennis players on Planet Earth have descended on southwest London for Centre Court drama, sporting villainy, and, as always, some very good menswear. There are four Grand Slams on the calendar, but only one where competitors are expected to look like they’re about to pull up to a very fancy garden party.
Because while the Australian Open has fully embraced color, the French Open is relatively relaxed, and the US Open practically encourages players to go wild with their style, Wimbledon still operates under one of sport’s strictest dress codes: the all-white rule. It’s one of the tournament’s most famous traditions, but it’s also one of its most misunderstood. So here’s where it came from, what the rules actually are, and why Wimbledon refuses to let it go.
Simply put, players competing at Wimbledon are required to wear clothing that’s almost entirely white. That covers pretty much everything. We’re talking shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses, socks, hats, wristbands, and shoes. Basically everything that you can visibly see falls under the same regulations. Unlike other tennis competitions where players often use their fits to show off new designs and colorways, Wimbledon keeps things super pared-back.
The result is a tournament that looks completely different from every other major sporting event on the calendar—especially when you compare it the World Cup and its hot pink football boots.
To understand the rule, we need to go all the way back to the Victorian times. When lawn tennis started getting more and more popular during the late 19th century, it was largely played by Britain’s upper classes. At the time, visible perspiration (i.e. sweating) was considered “improper,” particularly in social settings. White clothing was believed to disguise sweat marks better than darker fabrics, making it the preferred choice for activities like this.
By the time the first-ever Wimbledon Championships took place in 1877, white had already become the go-to uniform for the sport. Over the following decades, the tradition became increasingly intertwined with the tournament's identity.
Yes! In fact, the modern rules are considerably stricter than most people realize. Wimbledon doesn’t simply ask players to wear predominantly white clothing. According to the tournament’s official regulations, competitors must wear attire that is “almost entirely white.” But what about off-white or cream or even ivory, you ask? Sorry buddy, those are a no-go.
Colored trim is heavily restricted, logos must remain discreet, and even small details can come under scrutiny. Over the years, players have been asked to change footwear, undershorts, and accessories that failed to meet the tournament's standards, like when Nick Kyrgios was fined five figures for wearing red (more on this later).
That said, the rules have evolved slightly with the times. In 2023, Wimbledon announced that female players would be allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts following concerns raised around comfort and practicality.
Of course, Wimbledon’s proper look isn’t just down to the players. Since 2006, Ralph Lauren has served as the tournament’s official outfitter, providing uniforms for umpires, ball boys, ball girls and on-court officials. It’s one of the longest-running partnerships in modern sport, and it’s hard to imagine a better fit.
After all, Ralph Lauren built its reputation on preppy American sportswear, crisp Oxford shirts, and country club vibes. Wimbledon may be British through and through, but the visual worlds of the two brands overlap incredibly well.
For a rule that’s centred around a single color, it’s actually generated a pretty impressive number of controversies. Andre Agassi famously avoided Wimbledon for several years during the late ’80s and early ’90s, partly because he disliked the tournament's traditional approach. In 2013, Roger Federer was asked to swap out a pair of shoes featuring orange soles.
More recently, in 2022, Nick Kyrgios was fined nearly $10,000 for wearing a red Jordan Brand cap. And in 2023, Jannik Sinner arrived carrying a Gucci duffle bag that was made just for him. It looked like the kinda thing that Wimbledon would ban on sight, but, weirdly enough, it had actually received special approval from officials beforehand.
Great question! Why keep enforcing a dress code that dates back almost 150 years? Well, because somewhere along the way, the all-white rule stopped being about practicality and became part of Wimbledon’s identity. In an era where athletes are encouraged to build personal brands, wear louder colors, and turn every single arrival into a fashion moment, Wimbledon stands apart by refusing to follow the crowd.
That’s what makes it so distinctive. You can spot a Wimbledon photo from across the room without seeing a logo, a scoreboard, or even a player’s face. And because everyone’s working from the exact same palette, the attention shifts elsewhere. You start noticing the cut of a polo shirt or the drape of a pair of shorts or the details on a pair of trainers rather than the color they're painted.
Love it or hate it, the all-white rule remains one of the last genuinely unique dress codes in pro sport. It might have started as a way to hide sweat stains, but a century-and-a-half later it’s become something much, much bigger.
This story originally appeared on British GQ.