Players attack 'sexist' Women's Tennis Association poll of best-dressed women at Wimbledon

“Perhaps we should do a poll for the best forehand on the women’s tour rather than the best dressed?” asked former world number four Magdalena Maleeva

World no. 1 Angelique Kerber was included in the Women's Tennis Association's best dressed poll of Wimbledon's female players (AP)

A ‘best dressed’ poll of female Wimbledon players by the Women’s Tennis Association has been criticised by professional players as sexist.

‘It’s time for you to vote for your favorite Wimbledon whites!’ instructs the poll on the website of the WTA, an international body which governs women’s tennis.

The page documents the attire of nine Wimbledon female tennis players, before asking readers to vote.

"Garbiñe Muguruza’s stature beautifully presents the adidas Fall Stella McCartney Dress, whose seamless construction creates a comfortable slim fit", it says of the Spanish-Venezuelan finalist.

"While the world number one [Angelique] Kerber pairs her adidas London Tank with its matching laser-cut Climacool skirt, her competitor for the top spot in the WTA rankings [Simona Halep] switches between the skirt and stretch woven shorts from the striking collection."

Social media users reacted furiously.

"Since it is 2017 I expect the ATP to have a similar post about the men's outfits", one Facebook user commented on the poll, which is still open.

Women in Sport, a charity which works to involve more women in sport, was “disappointed” and said the poll encourages women to feel self-conscious, rather than empowered, while playing.

“By focusing on the appearance of women, this poll diverts much needed attention away from the pure talent and athleticism on display from these players,” said chief executive Ruth Holdaway.

“The WTA is reinforcing the notion that image is important for women and girls when playing sport – which is likely to put them off - rather than highlighting the physical, mental, emotional and social benefits of physical activity which will inspire many to give it a go."

Reactions to the poll from female players were mixed.

British number two Heather Watson said the poll was “fun”.

“I like to look good on the court. I love the clothes that I wear. I love my Wimbledon dress right now. And I think it’s great. It’s fun and I am always looking at what the other girls are wearing. And it is good to see what other people think as well.”

But Magdalena Maleeva, former world number four, said: “I would rather women players were viewed for the good tennis they play rather than the nice dresses they wear. I find it a bit sexist to be honest and it’s disappointing they did this.

“Perhaps we should do a poll for the best forehand on the women’s tour rather than the best dressed. And why not a poll for the best dressed guys?”

A spokesperson for the WTA said: "Tennis has a rich history linking the sport with fashion, and this is no more evident than at The Championships. The traditional all-white dress code at Wimbledon is one of the most famous and iconic aspects of tennis, and the recent WTA best-dressed poll was created to celebrate this unique feature of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

"We see nothing wrong with promoting athleticism while celebrating Wimbledon's wonderful dress code."

This is the latest sexism row at Wimbledon 2017. Claims of unequal representation for male and female players on the show courts – such as Centre Court and Court One - have been highlighted, though the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which hosts the tournament, says the split is 50/50 across the two biggest courts.

"Instead of four men's matches and two women's matches, I would like to see, and I think all women would like to see, three men's matches and three women's matches to go along with the equal prize money," three-time Wimbledon women’s champion Chris Evert told BBC 5 Live.

The tournament’s lack of provision for female players with children has also been criticised. Belarusian Victoria Azarenka complained about how last-minute timetabling of matches made life difficult as a mother of a seven-month-old son.

“I had to be here for the whole day, which, for a new mum, is a little tough,” she said. “Hopefully, I won’t play like this again.”

Only one mother has won Wimbledon in the last century – Australian Evonne Goolagong in 1980, three years after her daughter was born.