Nick Kyrgios controversy: Wimbledon's strict dress code explained

Nick Kyrgios's fourth-round win over Brandon Nakashima at Wimbledon almost finished without controversy — until the Australian player made headlines for his choice of attire.

The world No 40 flouted Wimbledon’s strict dress code, a tradition the tournament has had since it was founded 145 years ago.

While Kyrgios stuck to the all-white dress code for the match itself, he changed into red-and-white Air Jordan trainers and a matching red cap to enter and leave Wimbledon’s Centre Court.

Nick Kyrgios changed into red-and-white Air Jordan trainers and a red cap to leave the court. Reuters

Following his victory, Kyrgios was asked by a reporter why he chose to break the rules, to which he replied: "Because I do what I want. I'm not above the rules. I just like wearing my Jordans."

Kyrgios, who last week was handed a $10,000 fine for spitting in the direction of a spectator who heckled him, seemed unimpressed by the line of questioning surrounding his clothing. "That's more attention for me,” he said. “What's that saying; any publicity's good publicity, right? Keep doing you then, champion."

However, he joked he would pay more attention in his quarter-final match, and "wear some triple-whites".

Scroll through the gallery to see Nick Kyrgios's match against Brandon Nakashima

The history of Wimbledon’s dress code

All-white clothing has been worn at Wimbledon since the tournament began in 1877. Everyone who steps on the court at the UK tournament, from reigning champions to qualifiers, is subject to the same strict rules.

“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,” the rules state. “White does not include off-white or cream.”

The dress code was implemented not only for fashion reasons, but as a “great leveller”, tournament organisers say, meaning if a player wants to get noticed, “they must do so through their play”, not by their choice of attire.

In a video explaining the rules, Wimbledon organisers say it’s a “tradition they are rather proud of”.

While players have in the past chosen to wear whites with some coloured piping or logos (a strict one-centimetre width is all that is permitted), the all-white rules have remained staunch.

However, it is reported an exception has been made for this year’s tournament, allowing players to wear blue and yellow ribbons or piping on their clothing, to show solidarity with Ukraine.

Poland’s Iga Swiatek, as well as Ukrainian players Lesia Tsurenko and Anhelina Kalinina, all chose to show their support by adding the colours of the Ukrainian flag to their match clothing.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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