What colour must players wear at Wimbledon?

Players at Wimbledon must wear predominantly white clothing. The rule is one of the tournament’s most recognisable traditions and applies to shirts, shorts, dresses, skirts, socks, shoes, hats and headbands, not merely to the player’s shirt.

Wimbledon’s first formal clothing code was enforced in 1963, although white tennis clothing had been associated with the event much earlier. The tradition developed partly from older ideas about tennis as a refined social sport, when white was considered more suitable because it showed less visible perspiration than darker clothing.

The rule is strict but not absolutely colourless: small coloured trims are allowed, while large blocks of colour and prominent branding are restricted. This is why Wimbledon players may appear in white outfits with narrow stripes or small accents. A common mix-up is confusing the players’ clothing with Wimbledon’s traditional dark-green and purple branding, which are event colours rather than the required playing kit. Since 2023, female players have also been allowed to wear non-white undershorts under specified conditions.