Wimbledon drops ‘Miss’ from scoreboards
June 30, 2009 by jane
Filed under Grand Slam, Serena Williams, Tennis, Venus Williams
Wimbledon has always been known for its strict standards of etiquette. Organizers of the tournament like things to be done just so, like insisting players wear predominantly white.
But nothing is sacred and some traditions have been scrapped in recent years. Players have not had to bow or curtsy to the royal box when entering and leaving Centre Court since 2003.
This year another formality has been dropped. For the first time in the tournament’s 132-year history female tennis players are no longer referred to as “Miss” or “Mrs” on scoreboards.
Insiders suggest the tradition has been dropped to bring the women’s game in line with the men’s (women now get paid the same as men at Wimbledon), and because not using first names can become confusing if sisters are playing each other.
“There is no official line on this,” says a spokeswoman for Wimbledon. “It’s something that we’ve just changed this year. It’s actually gone completely unnoticed, until now.”
Up until this year women players had been referred to as “Miss” or “Mrs” and no first names were used, according to the All England Club. The title “Ms” has never been used.
When the Williams sisters played each other, the initials from their first names were used to differentiate who was who. Now, first names will regularly replace social titles.
But the use of titles has not been completely consigned to the record books. Women players are still referred to as “Miss” or “Mrs” by umpires during games.
