'What a joke': Wimbledon hopeful caught in ugly furore over outfit

Wimbledon has had its first outfit controversy - and the tournament proper hasn't even started yet.

The grass-court grand slam is notoriously strict on rules around what the players can wear, in an attempt to uphold the traditional all-white custom at the All England Club.

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And Dutch player Indy de Vroome found that out the hard way during qualifying on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old was in action at the qualifying tournament in Roehampton when she fell foul of the all-white dress code.

De Vroome posted a photo on social media showing her being told off by the tournament supervisor for the hat she was wearing.

“The ref telling me that the inside of my cap isn’t white enough,” De Vroome wrote.

Under rule No.7 of Wimbledon’s official dress code: “Caps (including the underbill), headbands, bandanas, wristbands and socks must be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre.”

Wimbledon officials have cracked down on dress code regulations in recent years after players started to add too much colour to their outfits throughout the 1980s and 90s.

A number of players have even been forced to change their underwear if it can be seen through clothing.

“Any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre,” Rule No.9 reads.

“In addition, common standards of decency are required at all times.”

Aussie star John Millman famously had to get his father to rush out and buy him new underwear at the 2018 tournament.

“The Lotto pants this year are really thin, which is good for us, it feels like you are playing naked out there,” Millman said.

“I shouldn’t say this, but I have worn those undies, or similar types, for the last few years.

“But this year they came down hard, as they do. But ‘The Fox’ (his father) delivered.”

Ash Barty gets No.1 seeding at Wimbledon

Ash Barty will have to live up again to being the No.1 in the ladies' draw at Wimbledon after the world's leading player was confirmed as the top seed for the Championships.

Barty, who's seeking a powerful return after injury forced her to withdraw during her second round match at the French Open, will be hoping to improve on her career-best fourth-round effort at Wimbledon in 2019 event when she lost to American Alison Riske.

When the All England Club announced the seedings on Wednesday for their first Championships in two years after last year's event was cancelled because of Covid-19, the reigning 2019 champion Simona Halep was confirmed as No.2 seed.

But there are question marks over the Romanian's fitness as the 29-year-old hasn't competed since the Italian Open and pulled out of her final planned warm-up event in Germany this week.

Novak Djokovic, reigning gentlemen's singles champ following his epic win over Roger Federer in the 2019 edition, will also start as top seed as he aims for his sixth triumph at the All England Club, which would tie him with Federer and the absent Rafael Nadal on 20 grand slams.

Daniil Medvedev will be on the other side of the draw from Djokovic as No.2 seed, with No.3 Dominic Thiem hoping he won't be sidelined by a wrist injury that forced him to pull out of the Mallorca grass court tournament on Tuesday.

Roger Federer, the eight-time champion, will be the No.7 seed, with the possibility that he could end up meeting Djokovic at the quarter-final stage.

with AAP

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