Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini revealed he was banned from wearing a special walk-on outfit due to the All England Club's strict dress code. The Italian, who reached the final at SW19 in 2021, said his Hugo Boss jacket was deemed 'not white enough' by tournament officials.
Berrettini's Outfit Rejected
Berrettini, 30, had posted promotional images of the beige jacket on Instagram before the tournament. Speaking after his second-round victory over Arthur Fils, he said: 'There was an option [to wear an outfit] actually, but I got refused by Wimbledon. It was not white enough. It was a little bit off-white. Then on the colour, it was a little bit brownish. So there was an option, but they didn't let me do it. It's okay.'
Wimbledon's dress code states: '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.' Berrettini accepted the ruling without complaint.
Fritz and Osaka Make Fashion Statements
While Berrettini was denied, sixth-seed Taylor Fritz wore an eye-catching Hugo Boss outfit for his second-round match against Patrick Kypson. The American admitted the attire added pressure: 'I think people are going to be torn. I think some people are going to like it and some people are going to think that anyone who is dressed up to walk out is doing too much. [You feel] maybe not more nervous, but you show up in a full outfit and get snipped in the first round, you kind of look stupid. You look really stupid, honestly.'
Naomi Osaka has turned heads with her walk-on outfits, including an all-white 'Kill Bill' inspired kimono for her opening win and a white jacket with floral decoration and a long train for the second round. 'When I think about Wimbledon, it's obviously the all white. When I think about that, I think about my cultures, my heritage, which is Japanese and Haitian. Then if I dive deeper into like Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono. You don't have to see the colour of a kimono to know that it is a kimono,' Osaka said.
Berrettini's Wimbledon Run
Berrettini has looked back to his best this year, knocking out Stan Wawrinka in the first round before upsetting 20th seed Arthur Fils on Centre Court. He now faces wildcard Grigor Dimitrov in the third round. The Italian has struggled with injuries in recent years but appears to be regaining form.
