Dress Code for Female Tennis Players at the US Open?

Fashion in women’s tennis is becoming almost as important as the game itself. That’s the naked truth.

It explains why commentators are commenting nearly as much on their dress as on their play at this year’s US Open. And their commentary insinuates that there should be a dress code for female players.

A dress code for female tennis players

A case in point is the commentary during a game featuring Venus Williams:

John McEnroe: I think that dress has distracted [Venus].
Dick Enberg: It’s distracting you. …
Mary Carillo: She uses that fabric a lot in her designs, John. And for the last couple of years we’ve seen her have to correct her outfit after every point.

(Yahoo Sports, September 5, 2010)

I prefer women’s tennis to men’s. It’s far more exciting to watch. And it has nothing to do with their skimpy skirts.

It’s that their strokes are almost as powerful as the men’s. Venus hits 125mph serves, for Christ’s sake! Women also have longer, more engaging rallies. By contrast, one big serve now characterizes men’s tennis.

Venus Williams, fashion designer

But Venus now seems more interested in creating fashion than playing tennis. Never mind that reviews of her designs suggest she shouldn’t give up her day job.

She was in revealing form at a recent tournament, wearing a flesh-colored tankini bottom. That made it look like she was butt naked when her mini skirt exposed her nether region. And she appeared to moon spectators with every stroke.

The outfits she’s wearing at this tournament are equally distracting. As Carillo noted, Venus adjusts her outfit after every point. That’s because it’s so tight, it rides up her butt every time she moves to hit the ball. And her adjustments are playing out like a striptease.

To be fair, though, that’s not as distracting or offensive as Rafael Nadal’s habit. Because he keeps digging his underwear out of his ass after every point. Another reason I prefer women’s tennis.

Women’s tennis players looking like swimsuit models

I might be an old-fashioned feminist. But I don’t think women Tennis players should be trying to look like swimsuit models. This diminishes their athleticism. Some of them are exposing so much they’re turning spectators into unwitting peeping Toms.

Maria Sharapova is only twenty-three. Yet she’s already gone from pin-up darling to old hag. That’s how she looked losing her quarterfinal match in straight sets to the new it girl, 20-year-old Caroline Wozniacki.

More to the point, Caroline was following fashion by wearing a skimpier skirt than Venus’s. It seemed designed to expose her nubile buttocks. And, as if to focus our attention, she wore bright yellow tankini bottoms.

Mind you, their butt-bearing skirts are no different from the butt-bearing pants boys in the hood wear. Yet the former passes for fashion, while the latter smacks of public indecency.

Women basketball players wear no more revealing outfits than their male counterparts. I see no reason why women tennis players can’t do the same.

Of course, women players don’t take off their tops during games to free the nipple. You know, the way men players do. So…

Women beach volleyball players wear the skimpiest outfits of them all. But they play on the beach. So that makes their outfits seem more appropriate.

But I don’t see why women tennis players think such outfits are necessary or even appealing. Not to mention that many of them would look a lot better more covered up.

Dress code

Wimbledon is the most prestigious tournament in tennis. That’s likely because it enforces a strict dress code for both genders. Other tournaments should enforce one too.

In any event, Venus made it through to the semifinals with a straight-set victory over thirty-year-old Francesca Schiavone last night. If she wins this tournament, I might cut her some slack.