Venus Williams breaks Wimbledon's 'all white' rule in bright pink bra

Tennis superstar Venus Williams has played at Wimbledon enough times to warrant a rule break, right?

Apparently not.

The 37-year-old – who has won the women’s singles title six times – took to the courts yesterday to compete against Belgian player Elise Mertens.

But one thing caught the attention of spectators and officials alike: Venus’ hot pink bra.

With her bra straps clearly visible, Venus was in clear violation of Wimbledon’s strict ‘all-white’ rule.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) states that players must wear an entirely white outfit, adding “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 (10mm)”.

It appears that Venus was reprimanded for the bold choice as she appeared sans pink bra and in a different top after a short rain break.

The AELTC refused to confirm whether the tennis player had been spoken to, saying it was “a private matter.”

Venus herself was asked about the incident, commenting: “Yeah, so I don’t want to talk about undergarments. It’s kind of awkward for me. I’ll leave that to you. You can talk about it with your friends. I’m going to pass.”

However, one official did state that “underwear should be white,” leaving many to believe that Venus had indeed been told off for her colourful bra.

The outfits of female tennis players seem to cause some controversy every year at Wimbledon. Last year, a Nike tennis dress worn by several players was reportedly recalled for being too revealing.

In 2002, Anna Kournikova was asked by officials to remove the black shorts she was wearing. As she had no other options available, she returned to the court in her male coach’s baggy pair.

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