"The guy lifted up my skirt and told me to go back to the changing room" - When Chris Evert revealed attempt to get past strict Wimbledon dress code

Chris Evert once opened up about how she was sent back to the dressing room once due to her clothing, highlighting the strict Wimbledon 'all-white' dress code. To those unversed, the grass Major has very strict rules about players being dressed entirely in white, and many players have lamented this inflexible rule.

The official site of Wimbledon states that the suitable tennis attire must be 'entirely white' and that not even off white or cream colors are allowed.

'"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."

There was a welcome change brought to this strict dress code in 2023 that allowed female players to wear solid, mid, and dark-colored undershorts, which shouldn't be longer than their skirts or shorts. This change was aimed at relieving female players of their anxieties.

However, this rule didn't exist in the past when tennis great Chris Evert used to dominate the competition. Back in 2014, in a piece published by the New York Times, Chris Evert, alongside other players, opened up about the troubles she faced because of the strict 'all-white' rule when she was asked to change, as her white bloomers had red ruffles.

“I had all white on, with white bloomers, but they had red ruffles,” said three-time Wimbledon champion Chris Evert. “They weren’t noticeable at all because our dresses were longer. But the guy, he lifted up my skirt and looked at the red and told me to go back to the changing room and change them.”

Interstingly, last year , Evert celebrated her maiden Wimbledon title's 50 year anniversary, and she also opened up about the win.

"I remember that that year I should never have won Wimbledon" - Chris Evert recalls maiden Wimbledon triumph

Chris Evert - Source: Getty

Speaking to the WTA about her miaden Wimbledon triumph in 1974, Chris Evert mentioned that she shouldn't have won the title that year and how she was favored by fortune. In 1973, Evert reached her first Wimbledon final but was defeated by the defending champion Billie Jean King. However, in 1974, two of her biggest threats, King and Evonne Goolagong were defeated in earlier rounds.

“I remember that that year I should never have won Wimbledon because I was in the same tournament as Billie Jean King, who I hadn’t beaten on grass yet, and Evonne Goolagong, who had my number on grass,” Evert said. “Lucky for me Olga Morozova beat Billie Jean King and Kerry Reid beat Evonne Goolagong.”

Evert defeated Olga Morozova 6-0, 6-4 to win the first of her three Wimbledon titles. She also mentioned how she talked with her rival Martina Navratilova about how there were Wimbeldon titles either of them shouldn't have won.

“Martina [Navratilova] and I often talk about were there Wimbledons you should have won that you didn’t win, vice versa... That was one that I had no right winning,” Evert added.

Chris Evert will be lending her tennis expertise at Wimbledon this year, where she will join Team ESPN's team to cover the grass Major alongside John McEnroe and others.