NOT AL-WHITE
Ons Jabeur ‘kicked off’ Centre Court and sent back to changing rooms after finalist breaches Wimbledon protocol
ONS JABEUR was ordered to leave Centre Court during her warm-up ahead of this afternoon's Wimbledon final.
The Tunisian star had taken to court in a black T-shirt for her practice session - breaching the All England Club's all-white clothing policy.
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The likeable sixth seed was forced to head back into the locker room to change.
Jabeur took on Marketa Vondrousova bidding to win her first Grand Slam title.
She was hardly a newbie at Wimbledon, having reached last year's final.
All England Club rules state: "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."
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During the big-match build-up on Centre Court, three-time Wimbledon singles champion Chris Evert told the BBC: "And by the way, Ons was wearing all black on Centre Court and they kicked her off.
"They kicked her off and made her put on white clothes.
"At Wimbledon you have to wear white! Even in the final of Wimbledon. I thought that was interesting."
Following a relaxing of All England Club rules, this year female competitors are permitted to wear dark undershorts if they wish.
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Players are permitted to wear colours on the practice courts at neighbouring Aorangi Park.
So it is possible that Jabeur was in the habit of wearing black for her warm-up sessions during this year's tournament.
At last year's Wimbledon Championships, Jabeur became the first African and Arab woman to reach the final of a Grand Slam.
She lost to Elena Rybakina on that occasion, before falling to Iga Swiatek in the subsequent US Open final.
The 28-year-old hoped to go one further against Vondrousova.
Following her semi-final win over Aryna Sabalenka, Jabeur said: "Hopefully, I can make history not just for Tunisia but for the whole of Africa. I am going all out for it."
The world No6 had a stunning route to the final.
She had defeated former Grand Slam champions in her last FOUR matches.
Jabeur recovered from a set down against 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in round three.
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She then trounced two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova in the last 16, before producing two more exceptional acts of escapology against last year's conqueror Rybakina, and Sabalenka.
The three-time Grand Slam finalist couldn't conjure up one more comeback, however, falling 6-4, 6-4 to maiden major winner Vondrousova.
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