Wimbledon's strict dress code rules as viewers question Naomi Osaka's extravagant outfit
Naomi Osaka has left Wimbledon viewers questioning the tennis event's dress code after she wore a custom-designed gown onto the court.
The four-time Grand Slam champion shunned the typical sports gear for her match-up against France's Elsa Jacquemot today (29 June), instead opting for a stunning gown which takes its inspiration from Japanese ceremonial dress.
Designed by Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi, the 'reinterpreted kimono' featured embroidered cranes, a symbol of success, luck and longevity in Japanese culture, and cherry blossoms.
Osaka completed the look by wearing a kanzashi hair ornament, with the entire ensemble honouring her Japanese heritage.
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Personally, I absolutely adore the 28-year-old's Wimbledon look, but it did raise a lot of questions around dress code at the All England Tennis Club event.
Designed by Hana Yagi, the look was a 'reinterpreted kimono' (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
Is there a dress code for players at Wimbledon?
Yes, Wimbledon is notorious for enforcing its all-white dress code on players, which has been in place since the Victorian era.
The requirement is applied to every part of a player's outfit, including tops, bottoms, underwear, shoelaces and armbands.
Logos and coloured trim around a collar or shirt cuff are permitted, as long as the latter doesn't exceed 1cm.
The rules apply to both matches and practice sessions, meaning players must pack away their more vibrant outfits in favour of traditional tennis whites.
However, Wimbledon's strict enforcement of the dress code has been controversial in the past.
In 2014, Naomi Brody was forced to play without wearing a bra as the one she owned wasn't white, a move which prompted widespread backlash against the event, while dark coloured undershorts were only permitted for women in 2023.
Fortunately for Osaka, and anybody else who enjoys the beauty of high fashion, the dress code begins and ends with the colour white, meaning her walkout outfit was allowed.
"I haven’t been in any conversations with her about what she wears, but as any of our athletes coming on to court, they just simply need to follow the all-white dress code," Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club, told The Times of Osaka's outfit choice.
"I don’t think we’ve got any concerns that that will be an issue."
This isn't the first time in which Osaka has been creative with her on-court outfits, sporting a glittering gold dress at the French Open and a Sailor Moon-inspired get-up at the US Open.
The creative looks have often been divisive, with Osaka's Wimbledon look receiving a mixed reaction on social media.
"This is not a fashion show. What you need to demonstrate is your tennis," wrote one person.
"Pretty certain Wimbledon is a tennis tournament not a fashion show," added another.
However, not everyone had a negative reaction to the outfit, with one person writing: "Well, the walk-out deserves its own trophy."
Why does Naomi Osaka wear unique walk-on outfits?
For Osaka, the entrance outfit is another way of expressing herself. "I like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling," she told British Vogue of her walk-on looks.
"Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world. The fact that people care about it and are excited to see what’s next is also pretty cool."
Brenna Cooper