Kareem Abdul-Jabbar expresses his views on the developments that take place all around the world each week on his personal substack. In this week’s release, he wrote about the Fifa World Cup and political developments in the United States. While doing so, he also criticized the Wimbledon organization after their recent rule change.

Wimbledon is the oldest grand slam tournament in tennis history. While being the most prestigious tournament on the planet, it has certain unique rules and etiquette that each player has to follow. However, one such rule had come under fire last year. This led to widespread protests and chaos. Eventually, as per reports, the rule has finally changed.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls out Wimbledon after recent rule change

One of Wimbledon‘s rules requires players to be in all-white clothing for their matches. In the past, many female tennis stars like Billie Jean King, Monica Puig, and Coco Gauff have spoken against this rule. For women, especially during their menstrual cycles, the dress code adds to their mental stress and anxiety. To avoid this extra stress, many tennis stars have claimed to have planned their cycles according to the dates of the tournament.

Following the backlash and protests, this rule has now been changed by the All England Club. Now the rule states that women players are allowed to “wear solid, mid/dark-colored undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt.”

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For many, this is a positive change. However, the six-time NBA champion severely criticized Wimbledon following the much-anticipated change. He said, “This is a reason to celebrate, except for the fact that it’s taken decades to get this ridiculous, misogynist rule changed, despite efforts by Billie Jean King and Coco Gauff.” 

He also pointed out that while the rule aims to remove anxiety, it could also add to more anxiety. Abdul-Jabbar also expressed that this rule would work only if all female players would wear dark-colored undershorts for all games. He said, “If only a few do it, it will seem like they’re wearing a scarlet P announcing their period. That will also cause anxiety.” 

The protests around the rule

Tennis legend Billie Jean King spoke to CNN about the anxieties female players had during her tenure as a tennis player. She claimed that they were always in a tense state. She also stated that they would always check if they were spotting or not.  

During the Wimbledon women’s final last year, a group of women dressed in white with red underclothing stood outside with banners calling for the rule to change. Tennis player Gabriella Holmer led the protests. ‘Address The Dress Code’, was the campaign name. Their efforts seemed to have paid off.

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What’s your take on this rule change? Let us know in the comments below.