1985 third round Anne White vs Pam Shriver was one of the most newsworthy stories in Wimbledon history, not because of the match but because of the outfit worn by one of the contestants.
American White wore an all white bodysuit. She said the idea for it came by chance at a dinner with her boyfriend Ian Hamilton, a Nike exec. Hamilton gave White some white tights which provoked White to joke about wearing such an all white outfit at Wimbledon.
A special outfit was designed by PONY which White wore vs Shriver. They split sets until darkness postponed the third set until the following day. But a Wimbledon official ordered White to never wear the white bodysuit again at Wimbledon, calling it “unsuitable.”
Shriver did not like the fashion statement by White either, telling the media it was the most stupid thing she ever saw. on a tennis court The newspapers and tabloids in London had a field day though and White and her outfit were front page news.
When the third set of White vs Shriver resumed the next day, White wore a more traditional outfit and subsequently lost the third set 36. The 23 year old never wore that infamous bodysuit, or any kind of incarnation, ever again. Shriver ended up losing to Martina Navratilova in the quarterfinals.
White would reach her career high ranking of 19 the following year 1986. She won one WTA singles title in Phoenix 1987 and eight more in doubles. Her best Grand Slam result was fourth round at Roland Garros and US Open. Today White is director of tennis at Beverly Hills Tennis Club.
Anne White · PONY · Wimbedon