A day after the death of the Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, who hailed from Portugal, a Portuguese tennis player Nuno Borges said he was prevented by Wimbledon officials from wearing a football jersey on to court in tribute to the footballer.
Borges is Portugal No1 tennis player and he eventually wore a black ribbon pinned to his hat during Friday’s third-round game against Karen Khachanov. He would reveal later that his team had initially pressed for a more visible tribute to Jota, who was killed in a road accident in Spain on Thursday.
“I know Wimbledon is usually not very flexible with attire,” Borges said. “But I was told we could still do something to pay our respects for what happened, so I think it was a nice gesture. He was a great footballer. It was a tragedy.”
Borges, who lost a five-set thriller, said his agent had even tried to source a white version of the football shirt to comply with dress rules, but it was not approved.
“We initially talked about getting a full jersey to walk on court,” he said. “I even tried to find one in white, but it was turned down, so we ended up doing something a little smaller.”
Asked if Wimbledon should have allowed the shirt, he said: “I think that’s what makes Wimbledon special and different from every other slam, so I really don’t know.”
Wimbledon relaxed its 148-year-old dress code in light of Jota’s death, allowing players to wear black ribbons or armbands.
Borges wore that along with fellow Portuguese doubles player Francisco Cabral.
Cabral said, “Yesterday the idea of wearing a black strap came up – that was not allowed. I asked for permission to use the black ribbon and they let me play with it. He was an inspiration not only for me but for the country in general. He made so much in the sport and conquered so much in my life. If I helped one per cent for the family I will be super happy.”
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