Wimbledon officials bust junior players for grave offence: Wearing dark underwear
Multiple boys players have been sent off the court after officials determined their underwear didn't meet the tournament's all-white dress code
Roger Federer defeats Tomas Berdych to reach his 11th Wimbledon final
In the never-ending dusk of Roger Federer, he keeps finding a way to lighten the skies
Tennis is a game that tests players' athleticism, precision and mind. At Wimbledon, however, it's also a test of players' underwear.
On Thursday, Austrian junior singles star Jurij Rodionov was sent off the court after officials twice checked his underwear on the court and determined it was too dark to meet the English tournament's strict all-white dress code.
The two checks took 10 minutes, as officials demanded the 18-year-old lower his waist band to reveal the colour of his undergarments. The player was eventually sent off and told to change, before being allowed back on Court 18, where he eventually beat his Australian opponent, Blake Ellis.
Rodionov's underwear check followed a similar incident on Wednesday, when officials send off top-seeded junior boys doubles pair Zsombor Piros of Hungary and Wu Yibing of China to change their underpants, too. Officials put them through similar on-court checks before providing the duo with a couple of pairs of tournament-provided white underwear.
Like Rodionov, Piros and Wu were able to return and beat their opponents.
I've never been more popular among British reporters here than when I started talking about underwear…here's the first check… #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/rrppYa2eoE
That players have been told to change their nonwhite undergarments is not new. Wimbledon women's singles finalist Venus Williams, for instance, was asked to change into a white sports bra after she wore a pink one during her opening match against Elise Mertens.
The difference between Williams' incident and those of the three junior boys, however, is that Williams's bra straps extended beyond her white jumper and were clearly visible. The junior boys' underwear, meanwhile, was completely hidden under their tennis shorts, at least according to everyone except Wimbledon officials.
Wimbledon's dress code, which was last updated in 2014, is so strict that it forbids players from wearing anything nonwhite that can be visible during play, "including due to perspiration." It's likely the junior players' undergarments began to show through their white shorts.
Venus Williams defeats Johanna Konta to reach first Wimbledon final since 2009
Milos Raonic is out at Wimbledon: Canadian dismantled by Roger Federer in quarterfinals
Wimbledon, which has had similar all-white dress codes since the tournament's inception in 1877, recently justified its strictest dress code to date as a means for levelling the playing field.
"To us, the all-white rule isn't about fashion, it's about letting the players and the tennis stand out," the tournament said in a video it posted about the dress code last week. "Everyone who steps on a Wimbledon court, from a reigning champion through to qualifier, does so wearing white. That's a great leveller. If a player wants to get noticed, they must do so through their play. That's a tradition we're proud of."
Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone: Notorious aims to prove he's still got it after brutal defeat, controversies
Rocky Johnson, Canadian-born wrestling star and father of 'The Rock', dead at 75
Scott Stinson: Gerard Gallant is proof — being NHL coach of the year doesn't give you job security
Scott Stinson: The Houston Astros, an unprecedented cheating scandal, and a very tidy solution
Scott Stinson: How Vasek Pospisil went from a hospital bed to some of the biggest wins of his career
Scott Stinson: The rise and rise of Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu out of WTA Finals after losing to Pliskova due to knee injury
Scott Stinson: From Toronto to New York to Beijing, the Bianca Andreescu train keeps on rolling
Scott Stinson: Bianca Andreescu comes home a conquering hero, but she has plans for much more
Brand Bianca: Canadian tennis star has shot at big off-court success after U.S. Open win
Scott Stinson: Bianca Andreescu, teenager, champion, and remarkable Canadian success story
Scott Stinson: Bianca Andreescu makes history with remarkable U.S. Open win
Scott Stinson: Bianca Andreescu's attempt to make Canadian history, and the legend that stands in her way
From her zen calm to her love of dogs: Everything you need to know about Bianca Andreescu
Scott Stinson: Bianca Andreescu makes Canadian history, advances to U.S. Open final in thrilling win
Scott Stinson: 'Is this real life?' Bianca Andreescu asks as she rolls into U.S. Open semi-finals