Fiend at Court Unplugged
Last weekend when the USTA Tennis League Regulations for the Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA) were referenced in conjunction of exploring the ethics of captaining multiple teams, I mentioned that CATA had some rules in their book that were great jumping off points for the Fiend at Court “Unplugged” series of posts. The following caught my eye.
Shorts, skirts, and t-shirts are acceptable attire. Most private clubs require male players to wear shirts with sleeves. Men and women must wear shirts during league play.
2020 CATA League Regulations, Rule 6D.
This rule is somewhat rare in the governance structure of USTA League rules and regulations. There are no regulations or reference for attire at the USTA National or Sectional level. I also consulted the league rule books for the two Community Tennis Associations (CTAs) where I normally play my league matches to confirm that there is no attire related rule on the books there either. I think that gives us license to be shirtless barbarians up here in the DFW area if we want to be.
Editorial Note: To most of those in my immediate orbit, please do not exercise that apparent right. Thanks in advance for your consideration.
During the “double bubble” tournaments of the recently completed Western and Southern Open and US Open, I could not help but to notice the number of male players who were frequently lounging about their player suite area without shirts.
Apparently several of the female ESPN commentators also noticed as well, judging by the frequency with which it was mentioned. I did have a passing thought on the appropriateness of these comments during these times. If a male analyst was to make a comment about scanty or absence of attire for a female player, I am pretty sure there would be public outcry.
Nevertheless, I will hop in with my own ill-advised and inappropriate observation of my own. I noticed that one of the players who did not indulge in the new de facto shirtless dress code for spectators at the US Open was Milos Raonic. This may have been a good call because he appeared to be rocking a new “Dad Bod” following the COVID-19 shutdown hiatus. Or maybe it is a simple illustration of the fact that horizontal stripes on clothing are rarely a good idea.
I don’t recall ever seeing a fan in the stands at the US Open without a shirt. I am 100% sure I have never seen a shirtless fan hanging out in one of the luxury suites. That realization nudged me me down the path of thinking about spectator dress standards for tennis.
A post at the Grand Slam Tennis Tours blog indicates that there is no official dress code for US Open attendance. The site has suggestions on how to “fit in” at the US Open. “We recommend that you dress as if you were attending a fancy garden party: short-sleeve shirts and nice pants for the guys and casual wear for the women.”
These are strange times. I am shocked to discover that that I can’t recall ever attending a “fancy garden party” and have no idea what attire appropriate for that occasion means. I am also surprised to discover that I have a lot more to say about tennis dress codes. A lot more.
- 2020 CATA League Regulations: A handbook for captains and players, Capital Area Tennis Association, https://www.austintennis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CATA_League_Regulations.pdf
- 2020 USTA League Regulations, https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/pdfs/190517_2020_National_Regulations.pdf
- 2020 Operating Procedures USTA Texas Section Tennis Leagues, https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/sections/texas/pdf/2020_League_Operating_Procedures.pdf
- 2020 Greater Fort Worth Tennis Coalition League Regulations, viewed 9/11/2020.
- USTA Dallas Local League Rules & Regulations, 2020, Dallas Tennis Association, viewed 9/11/2020.
- What to wear at a Grand Slam, Grand Slam Tennis Tours Blog, June 19, 2019, viewed September 17, 2020.
