When it comes to tennis, Venus Williams has been there, done it, and got the t-shirt.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner is one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

But even she was not aware of one particular Wimbledon rule and found out the hard way during a match at the prestigious Grand Slam.

READ: Venus Williams was told her uterine fibroid symptoms were ‘normal’—here’s what she wants you to know

Venus Williams, a five time champion on the hallowed grass at SW19, violated Wimbledon’s strict ‘all-white’ rule when she sported a hot pink bra during a win over Elise Mertens in the first round of the 2017 championships.

The vibrant bra straps, which were clearly on show, broke The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s (AELTC) rules that players must wear an entirely white outfit, including undergarments.

“Any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre (10mm)”.

After a short rain delay, Venus reappeared from the locker room in a different bra and top.

She was later asked about the incident, commenting: “Yeah, so I don’t want to talk about undergarments. It’s kind of awkward for me. I’ll leave that to you. You can talk about it with your friends. I’m going to pass.”

If it makes Venus feel any better, she’s not the only Williams sister to fall foul of Wimbledon’s rigid rules.

23-time Grand Slam singles champion and little sister Serena flouted the rules in 2019 during a 6-2 6-2 win over Carla Saurez Navarro on Court 1.

It was a routine victory that served up a unique moment when Serena broke an unusual rule and forfeited a point.

In the seventh game of the first set, Williams leaned over the net to hit a volley and was immediately penalised by the umpire who awarded the point to Navarro.

“[My racquet] was definitely over but I thought that was OK?” Serena asked.

However, according to the ITF’s rule 24, a player loses a point if “the player hits the ball before it has passed the net” – which is why the umpire correctly gave the point to Navarro.

“I definitely didn’t realise it was a rule,” Williams admitted afterwards.

“But I absolutely did have my hand over, so she definitely made the right call. I feel like I may have done that before like in doubles.

“I’m glad [that it got called] because I don’t want to make that mistake in our ‘Murena’ [the nickname for her doubles partnership with Andy Murray] doubles match. I’m glad that happened here.”

“I don’t think about it. I guess it should be on your side of the court,” she went on when asked about her thoughts on the rule.

“I guess if it bounced on your side and flipped back over, then you can reach over. That’s what I was thinking of.

“But it didn’t bounce on my side and go back over, so yeah, I think it’s a good rule. It’s tennis. I should know the rules.”

The Williams sisters are undeniable trailblazers and fashion icons, with Serena in particular pushing the boundaries over the years.

She forced a French Open rule change with her all-black ‘superhero’outfit in 2018 and on several occasions skirted with breaking the outfit rules at Wimbledon.

Williams caused a stir in 2012 when she sported a purple headband during her first two rounds at Wimbledon.

All outfits are inspected prior to the tournament, and the referee has the final say on the fashion choice the day of the match. They obviously felt Serena’s bold headband didn’t break any rules.

She also wore a pair of hot pink tie-dye leggings during 2011 while taking a few serves on the practice court.

Fortunately for Williams, Wimbledon’s all-white dress code doesn’t apply to warm-ups, and she got away with it.

The often infuriatingly meticulous all-white rules have been the subject of debate for years, with Andre Agassi infamously boycotting Wimbledon for three years to avoid following them.

Roger Federer was also warned about the orange soles on his shoes but it’s a tradition that dates back years.

This year’s tournament will be played over 14 days from Monday 30 June-Sunday 13 July.

Carlos Alcaraz is the defending men’s champion after defeating Novak Djokovic in last year’s dramatic final, a rematch of 2023’s showpiece year which ended with the same result.

Barbora Krejčíková beat Jasmine Paolini in the 2024 women’s final.

Venus Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history, celebrated for her remarkable skill, athleticism, and resilience on the court.

Throughout her illustrious career, she has captured seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five Wimbledon championships and two U.S. Open trophies.

However, her appearance on the tennis court in recent years wasn’t the most recognized one; instead, we have seen her at more social events than playing tennis. Venus Williams recently revealed that she has been battling fibroids, a condition that has affected her throughout her tennis career.

READ: Venus Williams was told her uterine fibroid symptoms were ‘normal’—here’s what she wants you to know

In May, Venus Williams confirmed that she has not officially retired from tennis, stating that she remains open to returning when the time feels right. Since then, it has been revealed that the elder Williams sister has been dealing with ongoing health issues, A personal challenge she first publicly discussed in an interview with Self magazine.

Venus Williams’ health battle with Fibroids

Venus Williams has revealed that she has been battling fibroids, a painful condition that affected her during some of the most iconic moments of her career. The tennis star discussed her health struggles in an interview with NBC News’ Zinhle Essamuah, opening up about the challenges she’s faced and the impact the condition has had on her life and performance.

Fibroids, non-cancerous tumors that develop in or around the uterus, cause terrible pain, nausea, and persistent anemia during periods for some time. Many of these symptoms worsen during menstrual cycles, a reality Venus Williams openly discussed in her interview. Those were the symptoms that Venus Williams shared during her interview with Zinhle Essamuah.

Williams shared in the interview that she had taken advantage of this time, hoping to surpass this situation, “I’ve been taking this time to rest and recover and live my life and be, you know, a happy person without fibroids.”

Serena Williams Sends a Message of Support to her sister

It is well known that Venus and Serena Williams share a strong, supportive bond both on and off the court. Together, the Williams sisters have competed in numerous tournaments, achieving an incredible 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles. For this reason, Serena penned a heartfelt message to her sister on social media.

Serena Williams took to Instagram Stories to show support for her sister, Venus Williams, after Venus publicly opened up about her battle with fibroids in an interview with Self Magazine. The tennis icon reshared images from the feature, highlighting her sister’s strength and resilience.

In the first story, Serena posted a photo of Venus with the caption, “Your courage.” She followed it with another repost, featuring a quote from Venus about the care and caution she has to take with her health. Serena added a heartfelt note to the post, writing simply, “She fought so hard.”

It’s worth noting that Serena Williams has also battled fibroids, a condition she was diagnosed with in 2016. Since then, she has dealt with painful treatments and ongoing health challenges related to the condition.

With 30 Grand Slam singles titles and a flawless 14-0 record in major doubles finals, Serena and Venus Williams built one of the most respected legacies in sports.

But even as their competitive days wind down, their influence continues in new and personal ways.

In a joint statement teasing the show, the sisters described it as “a place where we will share our personal stories, have authentic conversations, spotlight important topics, and laugh a lot.”

READ: WATCH: Serena Williams ordered by her daughter to stop showing so much and cover up with clothes

It’s clear the podcast won’t just revisit tennis glories, but it’s poised to tackle public perceptions, family history, and the deeper dynamics of their relationship.

Venus sets the tone with truth-telling and emotional memories

Venus recently appeared on TODAY’s Jenna and Friends to preview the podcast, and offered a candid look at what she and Serena hope to share, debunking one of the longest-running narratives in tennis fandom: that the sisters secretly resent one another.

“People are very intrigued about Serena and I. It’s like ‘Why don’t those two hate each other? Don’t they hate each other?'” Venus said. She acknowledged that their historic on-court rivalry might have helped fuel those misconceptions.

“We played each other, there was one point when we played each other five majors in a row. I was on the losing end. Lost five in a row, if you can imagine. So people are always interested in our dynamic and we’ve never like, shared a lot.”

The podcast, then, is as much about revealing that emotional connection as it is about revisiting iconic matches. Venus was quick to credit Serena for showing her how to break through on the biggest stages.

“If it wasn’t for Serena, she won the first major in the family. I got to watch her learn how to do it. And so I learned from her just watching. She didn’t say a word, I just – … so those are the things we’ll share that no one really knows.”

The podcast is another chapter in the story of a relationship built on more than just titles. As Venus revealed last year in an interview with Palazzo.ai, she and Serena shared more than court time – they shared a home for nearly two decades.

“A space is really special to me,” she said. “It’s my home now. I moved out of my house with my sister, my younger sister, and we lived in the same house that we got when we were 18 years old, until like late into our 30s.”