On the face of it, the first round match at Wimbledon between Americans Pam Shriver and Anne White in 1985 was not expected to provide many headlines. White had never been beyond the third round at SW19, so a routine win seemed the order of the day for number five seed Shriver, a 1981 Wimbledon semi-finalist.
Shriver would progress. But come the end of the match, the actual tennis was very much a sideshow. The reason for the furore would be revealed at approximately 7.20pm on Thursday June 27. As soon as White took off her tracksuit, it was very much a case of hold the front pages.
The first few days of Wimbledon '85 had been beset by rain. Shriver and White had waited patiently, like many other players, to even make it on to court. On the fourth day of the tournament, their match finally got under way on Court No 2. And that was when the 23-year-old White took centre stage.
The removal of her tracksuit was accompanied by gasps. Many photographers and reporters appeared as news spread of something unusual happening on the outside court. White, a part-time model, had chosen an outfit that turned heads, got cameras clicking, and transformed what would have been an otherwise standard match into headline news.
The all-white bodysuit that White was wearing was unlikely to go unnoticed in 1985. The Express described it as "Wimbledon's biggest fashion shock since gorgeous Gussie's frillies," referring to Gussie Moran's outfit at the 1949 tournament. Despite the drama surrounding White's attire, the match started, although Shriver was less than happy.
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"That was the most bizarre, stupid-looking thing I have ever seen on a tennis court. You can imagine how I felt. I'd waited four days to play a match with the rain coming down in sheets. Eventually I got on court at 7.20 in the evening, very nervous, and everyone started hooting and hollering. I turned round to serve and then I saw it - this vision. I didn't know what to do."
White would later argue that the suit was aimed at making her more aerodynamic and keeping her warm. But Shriver was not convinced. "Miss White went to towel down after virtually every point. I wanted her to keep on playing just so I could sweat her out."
Putting distractions aside, Shriver took the first set 6-3, before White levelled in a second set tiebreak. But with bad light ending play shortly after, the players would have to come back the next day. Already the wheels were in motion to make White's outfit yesterday's news.
"She will not be allowed to wear it again," Wimbledon referee Alan Mills announced. "She was slightly fortunate that the umpire decided she could wear it and the reason was obviously because it was all white - but it's not normal tennis attire - she will be warned." White reluctantly accepted this news: "I'm a bit aggravated. But it’s their tournament and their right. I certainly don’t want to make these people spill their strawberries and cream or something."
Wimbledon officials may not have been impressed. Yet the UK tabloids had a field day. Various descriptions were applied to White's outfit: "sexy figure-clinging one-piece bodysuit", "sexy catsuit", "sexy jumpsuit". The Sun stated that "Anne is a bit of all white". You can probably see the theme here. Images of White dominated many front pages.
White has been quoted as saying, "I had no idea it would be so controversial". Yet this does not quite tally with her comments that appeared in the Washington Post at the time. "I knew everyone was going to go nuts. I mean, if I had played on Court 17 at 10 o'clock at night, maybe no one would have noticed. But playing on Court 2 against Pam, I knew people were going to notice."
Originally, White had planned to wear the bodysuit, leg warmers, and headband at the French Open, before opting for Wimbledon. "I first came up with the idea about two months ago. I talked to the people at Pony and they liked the idea and designed it for me." For Pony, the sports goods company, the publicity was very welcome.
"I was actually wearing two suits," White admitted. "I needed the other to be decent. In America, maybe, we are a little more advanced about these things." The LA Times certainly seemed to agree with White. "The All England Club's reaction was predictable. So was all of England's. In a nation where the economy is faltering and bombs are exploding, five of eight national newspapers played pictures of White on the front page."
"The other girls thought it was great," White declared. "They said I had a lot of guts." Not all players seemed to be impressed by the fuss caused. Martina Navratilova called the episode "a stunt", with Jo Durie questioning if White could play any overheads in the outfit. "I would not ever wear anything like that, because it looks rather ridiculous," Gabriella Sabatini stated.
Returning on the Friday, White was back in "normal tennis attire". Wimbledon chairman Buzzer Hadingham had said that the suit could be worn with a skirt. But White was adamant that this defeated the point. "It just wouldn't be the same with a skirt. It is aerodynamic, meant to cut out wind resistance."
Either way, Shriver was relieved to take the final set 6-3, finally reaching the second round on the fifth day of the tournament. "I think she thought it would get her some attention," Shriver said after the win, as she was forced to answer more questions about her opponent's clothing. "It worked. She lost. Good."
"I would have worn the suit today if allowed since it was colder than last night," White said, defending her choice. "It keeps your muscles warm and is very functional. I did not think people would be over-thrilled with it. But it is definitely the tennis wear of the future."
Maybe White was right. But in 1985, the rumpus created highlighted that the world of tennis simply was not ready for White and her bodysuit, even if it did titillate the UK tabloids. When Serena Williams' catsuit was banned in the French Open, it revealed that tennis authorities were not even ready for this in 2018.
White did reach the heights of world number 19 the March after her Wimbledon fame, so it is unfair that she will mainly be remembered for that outfit at the All England Club. But maybe it is better to gain notoriety for something relatively harmless. White's five minutes of fame certainly gave everyone something to talk about in the many rain breaks during that fortnight.
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