Frances Tiafoe has already fallen foul of one of Wimbledon's strictest rules. The American got back to winning ways on Monday with a first-round win against Italian Matteo Arnaldi. Tiafoe, the 29th seed at this year's championships, battled back from a two-set hole to clinch a dramatic five set victory, but did so flouting one of Wimbledon 's most rigid protocols.
The 26-year-old played the match on Court 15 wearing a black knee strap after recently slipping and spraining his MCL in the Round of 32 at Queens against Australian Rinky Hijikata. He wore the same brace in his second round victory over Croatia's Borna Coric as he advanced to a third round showdown with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The All England Club enforces a famously strict all-white policy that players have to adhere to.
Tiafoe's black knee strap was technically illegal but ultimately he managed to get away with it. The official rule reads: ‘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.’ It also adds that "medical supports and equipment should be white if possible" however, they can be coloured when "absolutely necessary".
However, he isn't the only player at this year's tournament to come dangerously close to breaking the all-white rules. Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic blasted past Vit Kopriva in straight sets in their first round match while sporting a grey knee brace..
