Romanian tennis star Mihaela Buzărnescu was forced to change her bra prior to her first-round match at Wimbledon because it was not compliant with the Grand Slam tournament's rules.
The Romanian player was about to play her first match against Germany's Nastasja Mariana Schunk when Wimbledon supervisors took notice of the illegal undergarment.
In an interview with Eurosport, the 34-year-old explained what happened. "My bustier was too black and could be seen up here," she told the outlet, pointing to her chest, "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," the athlete laughed. "That's good, we did it."
Players must abide by a strict dress code at Wimbledon for both practice as well as matches.
According to Wimbledon's dress code, all players, male and female are required to wear all white, including any undergarments that are visible.
"Competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white and this applies from the point at which the player enters the court surround," the official Wimbledon dress code reads, noting that white "does not include off white or cream."
"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 color no wider than one centimeter (10mm)," the dress code continues. "There should be no solid mass or panel of coloring. A single trim of color around the neckline and around the cuff of the sleeves is acceptable but must be no wider than one centimeter."
Additionally, according to the dress code, shoes, hats, headbands, wristbands, and socks must also be white.
While Buzărnescu was happy to comply with the dress code, the incident sparked a fierce debate online. "Is it standard decency to bring attention to a woman's bra at center court in front of thousands of people?" one person asked on Facebook. "This was poorly done!" Another agreed, writing, "Why?! Are they stood watching her?!"
Others, however, defended the championship's long-running rules. "It's really not that difficult to get yourself all-white attire before having the privilege of competing at a prestigious event like Wimbledon," one commenter fumed. A second added, "It's always been the rules of said prestigious event. It's important to respect the running of this championship with its roots set in tradition and history."
Buzărnescu went on to win her first-round match following the controversy. "I was extremely happy, especially after the injury I suffered a few days ago, when I didn't even know if I would be able to play in this tournament or not, and especially to be in the shape I was, after a short accommodation time," she said to Eurosport. "It shows me that all my work in recent weeks has borne fruit today, and I am very happy that I managed this victory."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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