It’s the end of an era at Wimbledon.
No, they haven’t paved over the pristine green lawns, or stopped flogging strawberries and cream. But on Monday, eight-time champion Roger Federer stepped out onto Centre Court wearing Japanese brand Uniqlo rather than his customary Nike. Scenes!
Okay, so it’s nothing to match the controversies of last year’s Championships – with the headlines dominated by everything from perilously dangerous courts to an untimely flying ant invasion – but it certainly caused a stir at SW19, among crowds that still laugh deliriously every single time some wag interrupts play with a cry of ‘come on, Tim!’
And you can be sure that it wasn't a decision Federer will have taken lightly. The great Swiss takes his on-court appearance very, very seriously, and has previously even hit out at the AELTC for their strict all-white dress code.
“I love Wimbledon but they've gone too far now,” he moaned in 2015. “The rules have become ridiculously strict. I would be in favour of loosening it up a little bit. But it is what it is.”
He was, fortunately, in a better mood in his press conference on Monday evening, describing his new partnership with Uniqlo as “exciting” and revealing his plans to sell replica versions of his kit to his fans.
But a Nike-less Federer got us wondering: which one of Federer’s eighteen exceptionally similar all-white Wimbledon kits was the best? And which will he be eager to forget? These are important questions, and we have a gallery providing some equally important answers, just below.
For more Wimbledon 2018 news: click here.
