Why Did Andre Agassi Boycott Wimbledon?

Tennis history remembers Andre Agassi for his incredible contributions to the sport. For the entirety of his career, the American did everything he could to make tennis a more popular sport.

His incredible rivalry with Pete Sampras as well as his eight grand slams and Olympic gold, all put him in an elite list of great players. However, his interesting history at Wimbledon is a lesser-explored subject. The 1992 Wimbledon champion is one of those players who actively rebelled against the controversial All whites policy of Wimbledon.

In fact, the American player took this resistance so seriously that he refused to play at Wimbledon for three full years (1988-1991). His choice generated a lot of controversy over the years as he eventually fell in line.

Know More – Novak Djokovic And The Andre Agassi Story Behind His Racquet

Why was Andre Agassi against Wimbledon policy? 

Agassi was someone who was known for his outlandish uniforms. Most notably, his neon outfits attracted the attention of fans. It was obvious that the strict traditionalism displayed by Wimbledon didn’t go down well with him.

Interestingly, the conception of white clothing has classist roots. As The Atlantic reveals, in the nineteenth century, American and English elites wore white clothing. This was mostly because the blue collared working class couldn’t afford to wear white clothes as it got dirty considering the nature of the work they did.

Tennis has historically been a sport that the rich are supposed to play. As the elites played in all-white uniforms during summers, the dress code was slowly institutionalized in Wimbledon. However, over years players tried to subvert the rules.

Wimbledon developed a strict attitude to deal with this. In fact, it went into such minute details that it necessitated the wearing of white undergarments so that the dress code was adhered to. Some players like Agassi weren’t very fond of this strict behaviour.

However, when Agassi eventually returned to the All England Club, he came up with a completely changed attitude. The American said that he had finally developed respect for the conservative Wimbledon notions.

“Wimbledon is a place where I learnt to wear white, where I learnt to bow,” Agassi told CNN. “It’s a place where I learnt to accept and to come to appreciate (tradition).”

It was totally an absurd journey that Agassi travelled with Wimbledon.