Wimbledon to remove 'Miss' and 'Mrs' tags on honours boards

Friday, 27 May 2022 at 21:30

Updated at Wednesday, 10 July 2024 at 13:54

byJordan Reynolds

Wimbledon is the Grand Slam that is known for its many traditions, but one of those will be resigned to the dustbin of history this year.

The third Grand Slam of the season has already attracted attention due to the very controversial decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from this year's iteration of the event. This is due to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

That decision provoked a response from the ATP and WTA Tours, who were strongly opposed to the players being banned. The respective tours announced that no ranking points would be awarded at Wimbledon because of the ban.

There has been a diverse range of responses to the news that the Russian and Belarusian players will not be allowed to compete. However, some big names in the sport, such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, spoke out against the decision.

It will be interesting to discover how players in the men's and women's game respond to Wimbledon's latest move. Some are very happy about it, while others feel tradition should not be tampered with.

Wimbledon has announced that 'Miss' and 'Mrs' will be dropped on female honors boards. While men have always been referred to by their first names, female players were not treated in the same manner.

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Many traditions at Wimbledon make it special, such as it being the only Grand Slam where all the players wear white clothing. However, it is understandable why many women, in particular, wanted this changed and felt slightly disrespected by it.

For instance, Chris Evert's marriage to John Lloyd at the time of her 1981 title run at Wimbledon means her name has been shown as 'Mrs. J.M. Lloyd'. The 18-time Grand Slam champion has spoken about how she did not think that was right.

This move from Wimbledon means that can be rectified, and male and female players will be treated equally going forward.