WIMBLEDON — Novak Djokovic has been given permission by the All England Club to wear a grey knee brace at Wimbledon this year, and is donning it for Sunday’s final against Carlos Alcaraz.
The seven-time Wimbledon winner was forced to withdraw from the French Open in May before undergoing knee surgery.
The 37-year-old was only willing to play at Wimbledon if he felt as though he could compete for the title, but he declared himself fit heading into the third grand slam of the year.
“The knee has responded very well,” he said last week, “which of course is a great sign for my participation in Wimbledon. That’s why I decided to be in the draw.
“Obviously, once the tournament starts, I’ll have more sensations and more feedback from how [the] knee reacts to a best-of-five grand slam match.
“So far everything that was done was very positive.”
And so far, so good for Djokovic, who knows an eighth Wimbledon here would take him onto 25 grand slam titles, which would be an outright record.
Djokovic has been wearing a grey knee brace during every match, and he was given the “thumbs-up” by AELTC chair Debbie Jevans ahead of his first match, although he says he remains on the hunt for a white brace to adhere more closely to Wimbledon’s strict dress code.
“I did check,” Djokovic said last Tuesday, after his first-round win. “I actually just met chairwoman just before walking on to the court. She gave me thumbs up, so it was okay.
“Of course, we did check in the days prior if we have a permission. We’re trying to find a white one, trust me.
“I saw Frances Tiafoe played, he had a black-colour sleeve. Grey, I think it’s maybe slightly better towards the white.
“I know it’s not ideal. I like to go all white and I like to respect the rules. But I got the permission. I said to them that I will give our best for next match the white one.”
Wimbledon’s rules state medical supports and equipment such as the brace Djokovic is sporting “should be white if possible but may be coloured if absolutely necessary”.
For clothing, players must be wearing “almost entirely white” from the moment they step foot onto the court.
“A single trim of colour around the neckline and around the cuff of the sleeves is acceptable but must be no wider than one centimetre,” the rules state for shirts.
Shorts, skirts, tracksuit bottoms, caps (including the underbill), headbands, bandanas, wristbands and socks must be completely white except for one small trim of colour.
As of 2023, female players were allowed to wear “solid, mid/dark-coloured undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt”.
In 2022, meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios walked on to Centre Court with red trainers and a red cap for a last-16 match.
“I do what I want,” Kyrgios said. “I’m not above the rules, I just like wearing my Jordans (trainers).
“It’s more attention for me. What’s that saying? Any publicity is good publicity, right?”
Kyrgios then wore the red cap after the 2022 Wimbledon final against Djokovic, and was pictured holding the runners-up plate with his Jordan cap on after the four-set defeat.