Billie Jean King feels all-white rule in Wimbledon is a “total mistake”

For Billie Jean King, Wimbledon will always remain special, for it is in that hallowed arena where she has won 20 titles throughout her career (six singles, 10 women’s doubles, and four mixed doubles titles).

However, the tennis legend says that the only thing she resents about Wimbledon is its strict regulations about players having to wear predominantly white kits and termed the rule as a “total mistake”, adding that it makes it harder to distinguish between players.

Veteran Billie Jean King flies through the air in an attempt to reach a shot from defending champion Martina Navratilova, during their Ladies singles quarter-finals match at Wimbledon, July 18, 1981.
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THE HINDU ARCHIVES

“There’s a match that comes on, you sit down, and you look – let’s say it’s television – who’s who? Tennis people say: ‘Well, the mark is next to their name’ [to indicate who is serving]. I shouldn’t have to look at a mark. I shouldn’t have to look at anything. I should know [who’s who]. My sport drives me nuts,” Billie Jean told the Telegraph in an interview ahead of Wimbledon 2025.

While the 81-year-old acknowledges that Wimbledon is a tournament steeped in tradition and the white colour makes the tournament ‘quintessentially British’, she believes that tradition can change.

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Playing her first Wimbledon in 1961, Billie Jean was herself known for wearing dresses featuring blue and pink embroidery during her playing days at the iconic grass turf, but the all-white rule became more strict in the mid-nineties.