Emma Raducanu will take on Mimi Xu in the first round of Wimbledon on Monday, with the British number one having been accused of breaking a 150-year-old rule at the All England Club
Tennis star Emma Raducanu is set to kick off her 2025 Wimbledon campaign on Monday against teen sensation Mimi Xu in the opening round of the women’s singles.
Despite being the top seed for Britain, Raducanu “doesn’t expect much” from herself at SW19 this year but hopes to advance past the fourth round for the first time. Her journey begins on Court One on Monday, where she’ll face off against rising star Xu, amid an intriguing new rule change.
Raducanu’s return to SW19 has been marred by controversy after she was accused of breaking a 150 year old dress code rule at the All England Club earlier this year. In March, club members accused the tennis star of “arrogance” for allegedly flouting the long-standing all-white dress code at SW19. It comes after Raducanu was forced to respond to controversial Alcaraz relationship rumors.
The rules stipulate that players must wear all-white attire during matches and practice sessions, a requirement that also applies to the main Grand Slam event in the summer.
However, the 2021 U.S. Open champion reportedly defied these rules by wearing “whatever she want[ed],” including a pink outfit during a practice session.
The Daily Mail reported that her alleged disregard for the dress code had been “enraging members” of the prestigious club.
It’s so unfair,” an irate member told the publication. “Who does she think she is? Just because she’s won the US Open doesn’t mean she can wear whatever she wants.”
The All England Club’s rules, which date back to the 1880s, mandate that players must don “suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white” while on the courts. This rule also applies “from the point at which the player enters the court surround.”