Can Tennis Players Have Tattoos? (Truth Revealed)
When it comes to the sports world, tattoos are quite a popular sight, especially in football fields and basketball courts. However, tattoos aren’t seen nearly as often on a tennis player. What is the reason behind that, and are they even allowed to have them?
Tennis players have every right to have tattoos. However, it isn’t common to see them when compared to other sports because tennis has a strong etiquette and because of sociocultural reasons of tennis.
That being said, whether you are a tennis player or a representative of another sport, of course, you can have tattoos. According to a study, 10-30% of the general population has tattoos, but only 9% of the top 100 tennis players have one. Let’s take an in-depth look at why that is.
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Why tattoos are rare within the tennis community
If you think about different sports, some of them are played in poor neighborhoods such as basketball, and some are more popular in the upper-middle class and among the rich such as golf and, well, tennis.
Tattoos are often linked to poor people, and they are more popular within them as well. According to many studies, a person that doesn’t have much control of their life often gets a tattoo to feel a sense of empowerment.
This is why tennis players don’t have so many tattoos because tennis is quite expensive, and if you’re poor, you can really rule out tennis if you don’t play in free courts all the time.
Also, tennis doesn’t have a tattoo culture, and that’s the way it has always been. This is mostly because of cultural and historical reasons.
Another question is, do players have to conceal their tattoos when they play? Let’s find out.
Do tennis players have to cover tattoos at Wimbledon
Tennis players do not have to cover their tattoos at Wimbledon. Wimbledon’s dress code states that the player’s clothing must be almost entirely white and that no brand and sponsor logos are clearly visible. Thus, a tennis player can’t have a tattoo of a brand or sponsor either.
Tennis players that have tattoos
Many tennis players have tattoos from amateur levels to the top. I have gathered some famous tennis players that have tattoos and also their tattoos. Check out the list below!
- Stan Wawrinka: Tattoo says Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again
- Svetlana Kuznetsova: Many tattoos such as Angel Wings on Back, Little Angel on Chest, Star on Arm, and More.
- Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Colorful Flowers on Arm, Bee Tattoo on Wrist.
- Karolina Pliskova: Tribal Tattoo on Elbow, Polynesian Art Tattoo covering Thigh and Hip, Letter ”M” on Waistline.
- Roberta Vinci: Tattoo on Left Forearm Saying “Quanto manca alla vetta? Tu sali e non pensare” which means “How far are you from the top? You go up and don’t think”
Conclusion
Tattoos are slowly making their way more on the world of tennis, and that’s refreshing to see, at least in my opinion. There are many etiquette rules when it comes to tennis, but luckily all players are permitted to have tattoos of their desires.
