Wimbledon’s ultra-strict dress code has caught out many participants throughout its history, but it appears one other young star has fallen victim to the measures
Tennis star Diana Shnaider has been told she cannot wear her signature bandana at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old is visibly recognisable on the court as one of the few tennis stars who wear a bandana.
Shnaider is still young, but will be the No. 12 seed at SW19. Her campaign got off to the perfect start as she defeated Moyuka Uchijima 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in straight sets on Monday, which was the hottest opening day at Wimbledon with temperatures soaring to 34 degrees.
Unfortunately for her and her fans, she unable to compete without her trademark clothing item, because she was unable to find a suitable bandana that adheres to Wimbledon’s strict all-white dress-code. The Russian also went without it during her debut at the All England Club last year where she reached the third round.
The former college athlete prefers her bandanas to be custom-made, sourcing the fabric herself and having a seamstress craft it into the perfect sweat-wicking, form-fitting accessory. She told Express Sport: “I don’t have it this year either.”
Explaining why, she added: “To be honest, it’s not enough time for us to figure out a lot of things and to choose a fabric and make the fit and everything. I need to be the one who is doing that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough time to manage that.”
While the rules have affected what she can wear, Shnaider has embraced the Wimbledon traditions, saying: “I like Wimbledon just because it’s like one and only. It’s different. For sure, it’s like a different atmosphere here, compared to other Grand Slams.
“So for me, all of the white kits, I love, I feel like white looks great on every player. When you look at the players playing matches, you’re just enjoying the way they look, just this green grass and players playing in the white kits, I feel like it’s just a very cool atmosphere.”
This year, she is also dabbling in some new personal new traditions. One of those is opting to rent a house close to the All England Club, after finding last year’s hotel stay less than ideal, mainly due to the traffic.
Shnaider also explained she will not be joined by her family, adding: “They don’t travel most of the year. My brother really wanted to come here, but they don’t have visas yet. Maybe next year, he will enjoy it here.”
In terms of her accomadation, she added: “I actually have a house this year. Last year I stayed in a hotel, and I decided that this year I want to try something different because I didn’t quite enjoy the traffic and spending like 30, 40 minutes in it. We have a pretty cosy house, so I enjoy it more.”
Shnaider will team up in the women’s doubles with fellow countrywoman and rising star Mirra Andreeva. Opening up about her on-court partnership, she praised their dynamic, saying: “I love playing doubles and especially I love even more playing with Mirra.
“I think we have very good energy and chemistry on the court and obviously off the court, so for me, it just feels so comfortable and easy playing with her. We’re just enjoying and having so much fun. At the same time, for sure, it’s helping my game for the singles, to be more kind of consistent, to be more confident in myself, like going more to the net.”