Tennis players no longer want to wear white at Wimbledon for their period

The menstrual taboo in sport has another success! Already on May 30, 2022, at Roland Garros, the Chinese player Zheng Qinwen explained that she missed the round of 16 due to menstrual pain. And while the tournament of Wimbledona new tennis player joins her cause.

Alicia Barnetta 28-year-old English player, confided in an interview with the PA news agency, broadcast on 4 July 2022 by Sky News whichhe had had his period during the pre-qualifiers. This worried him. Mainly because he had to abide by the Wimbledon tournament dress code: dress in white.

Menstruation affects the physical and mental fitness of athletes

Alicia Barnett, on the other hand, made her debut in the tournament, on July 1, with a victory in the first round of mixed doubles together with compatriot Jonny O’Mara. Then, the duo defeated Venus Williams and Jamie Murray in a stunning match.

Nevertheless, the tennis player was not at the peak of her game, her menstrual cycle affected her physical and mental fitness. Here’s what he explains to the PA news agency:

“Your body feels looser, your tendons loosen, sometimes you feel a lot more tired and your coordination is more difficult. Me, I feel really depressed and it’s hard to find the motivation to play. “

“The mental stress of having to wear white”

And there is also this story of the white dress code, enforced since the creation of the British tournament in 1877. 145 years later, isn’t it time to do away with this arbitrary requirement that can complicate the life of women during periods on the tennis courts? For Alica Barnett, there is no doubt, the topic of sporting menstruation must become central in the world of sportcontinues, again with the PA agency:

“I’m a big advocate for women’s rights and I think this discussion is just great, people need to talk about it now.”

It is not Puerto Rican tennis player Monica Puig who says otherwise. In a recent tweet, the Olympic gold medal also denounced the “mental stress of having to wear white at Wimbledon” and “praying that you don’t get your period for those two weeks”.

The Wimbledon dress code: already reported in 2015!

But the debate does not go back to this year. As early as 2015, during an interview with BBC Sport, British player Heather Watson was one of the first to engage in the demonization of the rules in sport. This followed her illness during the Australian Open, where she was forced to stop her first match to see a doctor due to menstrual pain. She was already mentioning the swelling, cramps and fatigue that were affecting her play.

When asked about the white dress code tradition at Wimbledon, Heather Watson tempered her remarks. He assured him it was “A special experience” but his “Just stress” was… “have your period” ! As a result, most of the time, he tried to plan them based on his tournaments … Hi, the mental load!

Taking the pill to control or even suppress menstruation is a common practice among sportswomen., a performance injunction from which they cannot escape. Madmoizelle highlighted, in April 2022, the testimonies of various sports, such as the judoka Margaux Pinot, who evoked other strategies to adapt your training while saving your body when you are on your period.

61% of women have already skipped a sporting activity due to their period

Because unsurprisingly, the evil of these tennis players is no exception in the world of sport. Trial, 61% of women have already skipped a sport activity due to their period, according to a survey published at the end of June by the Intimina brand in partnership with Censuwide. The latter is based on a panel of 1,000 French athletes, professionals and amateurs who have been questioned about their relationship between sport and their cycle.

51% of them fear they will lose when playing sportsand 70% have intense menstrual pain. The facts are there, the debate is open and it is up to the sporting institutions to finally take the right action.

To put an end to tennis, in 2018, American player Séréna Williams managed to move the WTA (World Tennis Association) about her dress code and the issues of returning to competitions for women after pregnancy. The measures were taken following the scandal triggered by the pairing he wore, at the end of May 2018, at Roland Garros. When is the meeting point for them to finally be considered and destigmatized?

Featured Image: © Instagram Alicia Barnett and Heather Watson X Madmoizelle