Wimbledon star’s outfit causes stir as she ‘reimagines’ strict dress code | Tennis | Sport
Marta Kostyuk’s dress has been a huge hit (Image: Getty)
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has caught attention at Wimbledon not only for her lethal skills with the racket but also for her intriguing outfit. The 24-year-old’s bridal-inspired tennis dress, which she first wore in 2024, has gone viral again. Despite the All England Club’s strict dress code, Kostyuk’s Wilson-designed fit has stunned fans and officials, rather than court controversy.
The French Open semi-finalist wears a replica of her 2023 wedding gown, which was also designed by Wilson. For this year’s Wimbledon, Kostyuk has revisited the popular dress from two years ago, with it being dubbed the Marta Dress 2.0. It’s made from the lace pattern that’s reminiscent of a bride’s veil and features a sheer white panel over her sleeveless dress. Wilson themselves have posted the dress on their socials, captioning it: “The grass dress code, reimagined by Marta.”
The original Marta dress was available for £150 but is now sold out. It has its fair share of fans on social media, too. Underneath a post of the dress on X, one fan said: “I love this. I should own this,” and another added: ” Like a wedding dress this is very, very beautiful”
Under Wilson’s post on Instagram. One person said: “So divine”. A clearly impressed fan wrote: “Definitely the classiest, most beautiful, well-dressed on the Wimbledon court this year. Well done”
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Wilson have stated that the design features “a sophisticated two-piece construction consisting of a bra, vest and skirt system, accented with technical lace detailing that elevates the look while maintaining the functionality required at the highest levels of the sport.”
They added: “What appears to be delicate, proves to be indestructible with a four-way stretch performance weave.” Kostyuk clearly loves the dress.
She said: “To have a dress named after me, that was envisioned by me, feels absolutely surreal. Working with the Wilson team, especially Joelle, has been nothing short of amazing- I am able to help create looks that not only look beautiful, but are meant to perform on-court.”
Any worry that the dress could prompt Wimbledon officials to step in, given SW19’s notorious dress code, was swiftly quashed in 2024.
Kostyuk’s on-court kit is now in the possession of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum at the All England Club, thanks to its huge impact.
There is an incredible nine-point dress code ruling for those playing at Wimbledon. The exhaustive brief is essentially that those featuring “must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white.”
Marta Kostyuk’s dress has caused a commotion (Image: Getty)
However, it’s carefully stated that “white does not include off white or cream, while ‘there should be no solid mass or panel of colouring.’ It claims that ‘logos formed by variations of material or patterns are not acceptable.”
Kostyuk, this year’s Madrid Open winner, had advanced through Wimbledon after beating Nadia Podoroska in the opening round and Anna Blinkova in the second. After her victory over Podoroska, Kostyuk shared a photo of herself on court in the iconic dress, captioned ‘first dance complete’.
