Wimbledon relaxes strict dress code to allow Portuguese players to pay tribute to Diogo Jota
A black ribbon is worn by Francisco Cabral of Portugal as he plays his men's doubles second-round match on Friday at Wimbledon.
By Ben Church, CNN
London (CNN) — Portuguese tennis players Francisco Cabral and Nuno Borges were given permission to stray from Wimbledon’s strict all-white dress code to honor the late Liverpool and Portugal soccer star Diogo Jota, they told reporters, including CNN, on Friday.
Jota died in a car crash in Spain early Thursday morning. He was 28. His brother, André Silva – who was also a professional soccer player – also died in the accident at the age of 25.
Cabral, who competed in men’s doubles, told CNN Friday that he initially wanted to wear a black armband, but he said he was told that would not be allowed. He was granted approval to wear a small black ribbon instead.
The AELTC said to CNN in a statement: “We are always open to having conversations with players regarding such matters, and given the tragic circumstances, the Referee’s Office has approved the players wearing a black ribbon as a mark of respect and condolence.”
Cabral, ranked 40th in the world in doubles, won his first-round match Thursday but fell in the second round Friday with his playing partner Lucas Miedler of Austria.
“Yesterday, I came up with the idea of wearing a black strap, but that was not allowed,” Cabral said. “The players’ relations, they had a black ribbon, and I asked for permission.
They let me play with it and I just did it this morning.
“It was an honor. It’s not for the best reason. But yeah, he was not only an inspiration to me but for the country in general, he meant so much in the sport. He conquered so much in his life. So it was just an honor for me to try and help, if only 1% for the family and everybody.”
Later Friday, in the men’s singles draw, Portugal’s Nuno Borges – with a black ribbon affixed on his white cap – lost to Russian and No. 17 seed Karen Khachanov in five sets.
After the match, Borges said that he had initially hoped to walk out on court in a full red Portugal top, but his team was told that would not be allowed.
Instead, he opted for the same small black ribbon worn by Cabral.
“I think it was a nice gesture for him (Jota). He was a great footballer, it’s a tragedy,” Borges said.
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