Tennis stars have spoken out following the implementation of a new underwear rule for female players at Wimbledon.
There have already been some major victories following the start of the first round of the tournament in the United Kingdom after it was announced that the board would be relaxing its strict all-white dress code this year.
As per the official Wimbledon website, all competitors are now expected to 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."
The asterisks give further details stating that the "exception" is "provided for female players who are allowed to wear solid, mid/dark-colored undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt."
And the news has been warmly welcomed by prominent figures who are set to be competing this year including Coco Gauff and Heather Watson.
Speaking to Sky News, Gauff, who is the 7th seed, opened up about her experiences with the uniform at Wimbledon, as well as her newfound relief due to the change.
"I was on my period last year at Wimbledon and it was very stressful," she said.
"You have period underwear to help you but it's still in the back of your mind. Sometimes when you go to the bathroom, you're supposed to use the bathroom but sometimes I would go to check nothing was showing.
"I think it will remove a lot of stress for me and it's very nice it's being talked about."
The 19-year-old star also recalled an embarrassing on-court incident.
"It happened to me at another tournament and it was noticed by the referee before anyone really saw," she said. "It will make all the world of difference and I'm glad it's not a taboo subject anymore."
Watson also spoke out on the issue, telling the outlet that she was "happy" to hear about the new rule.
"When Wimbledon announced about the undershorts I was so happy because it makes such a difference," she said. "I speak openly about my period, I don't think it's a taboo subject and I would love for people to talk about it more.
"Last year I went on the pill to stop myself bleeding because I knew I had to wear white undershorts and I didn't want any embarrassment," she continued. "We're running around sweating, doing the splits on court. This year I knew my period was going to be during Wimbledon again so I'm very happy I won't have to do the same thing as last year."
The new rule comes after there were multiple protests about "period anxiety" back in 2022.
Campaigners from Address The Dress Code staged a protest outside the main gate over the British tournament's all-white clothing policy, wearing white skirts with red undershorts and carrying signs that read: "About bloody time."
We hope this simple yet effective change makes things easier for female athletes when they're competing.
