A Retrospective look at Wimbledon ladies tournament dresses
This year has been one of the most exciting Wimbledon tournaments we’ve seen in recent years, for both men and women. Whilst British player, Emma Raducanu didn’t make it to the final, she still made her fans proud and looked stylish. I’m here to discuss three major tennis stars, Emma Raducanu, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and the brands and styles they choose to wear on the courts.
First, let’s start with some history. It’s to be expected that such a formal and high-profile event would have a dress code for those in attendance, but Wimbledon has a dress code even for the players. This tournament has clothing rules dating back to the Victorian era. The first match was in 1877 and so for 145 years, competitors have been following the strict dress code of nearly complete white. And if you’re wondering how this tradition came about, keep reading.
Back in the Victorian era, it was deemed “improper” to sweat - ridiculous, that’s my 2 cents. They figured that by wearing white, the sweat wouldn’t be visible on the players’ garments. Furthermore, another rule states that logos and sponsors must be a centimetre wide or less. You’d think this would be quite difficult to adhere to in the modern world of brand ambassadors and sports stars becoming fashion influencers, and that’s part of what makes all of these dresses so appealing.
Emma Raducanu
She burst onto the scene in 2021 and has since become just as well known for her fashion as she is for her tennis. For her first Wimbledon match of 2022, Raducanu wore a £94.95 Nike dress. It’s no wonder that this feminine sports dress caught the eye of so many tennis and fashion fans alike. Nike describes the dress as being influenced by classic tailoring to add “some style to your game… Bonded, vertical seams on the front mimic the look of corsets, while an asymmetrical, pleated skirt flows and flares as you run the court”. And as if that wasn’t attractive enough, Nike website goes on to say that “this product is made from at least 50% recycled polyester fibres”. So, it’s helping to protect the environment too! Being sponsored by Nike, it’s unlikely that Emma Raducanu would have chosen anything else.
Elena Rybakina
Wimbledon ladies champion 2022, Elena Rybakina chose to wear the Women’s Parley London Dress, a new design from Adidas. Costing slightly more than Raducanu’s Nike dress (sitting at £109.66, £14.71 more to be precise), this dress is of a much more simple design and even features the smallest flash of yellow. The garment focuses less on super stylish details and more on breathability, built-in functions, and technologically advanced fabrics that keep you cool and dry. Is it any wonder Elena Rybakina won in this dress? There seems to be a big focus on sustainability at this year’s tournament as Emma Raducanu isn’t the only one to wear a dress that contributes to the protection of our environment. Rybakina’s dress is made from 75% recycled polyester and by teaming up with Parley for the Oceans, Adidas is bringing “awareness of the effects of plastic waste on our seas’ ecosystem.”
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is an 18-year-old up-and-coming American player. It’s obvious that she has an interest in fashion as well as tennis as she recently teamed up with New Balance to create her own clothing line. For round 2 of the 2022 Wimbledon tournament, Gauff wore an ensemble of the sportive brand that seemed to feature a tank top and shorts, with a netted skirt over the top. Whilst I can’t find it on the New Balance website, it certainly looks breathable and the netted skirt is a really fashionable spin on sportswear.
Whilst all three of the dresses have served the purpose of keeping the players cool and enhancing their performances, there are no prizes for guessing who wins “best dress”. That would of course be Emma Raducanu as her dress just combines so many fashionable features, it’s easily the sort of thing you can see people wearing as an everyday item.
