Evolution of women's sportswear

In the early 20th century, women's sports clothing was not designed for them to excel, it was restrictive and affected their mobility. Donning long dresses and hats to keep the "feminine" look intact on court or field was not only uncomfortable but also impacted women's athletic performance.
Women competed in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1900. Female athletes made up just over 2% of those taking part and competed in five sports, including tennis. At the time women wore long skirts which covered their ankles and long sleeves.

French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen was revolutionary. As well as dominating female tennis in her era, she changed the style of women's dress. Lenglen swapped long skirts for short-sleeved pleated dresses to compete in style, and also wore a bandeau, which became her trademark.

"All women players should go on their knees in thankfulness to Suzanne for delivering them from the tyranny of corsets," said American tennis champion Elizabeth Ryan, a contemporary of Lenglen.

The clothes female tennis stars now wear is much more suited to the fast-paced nature of the modern game. Players are also pushing the boundaries to be stylish on court. Tennis ace Venus Williams launched her own fashion label in 2007.