THE WIMBLEDON BLING RING

ThE wIMbLEDoN BlInG RiNg

Tennis is great, but the player's jewellery is even better

Words by Flora Macdonald Johnston

This year more than ever I have been hooked on Wimbledon, watching it on the side of my computer screen as I work, listening to the new Wimbledon podcast and greatly enjoying the breakdown of each match and players' technique and strategy. However, more than the matches themselves (and the serious battles happening on the court - Tan v Williams?!), I have become obsessed with the jewellery that the players have been wearing.

Wimbledon has the strictest of all championship dress codes. The players must wear near all-white clothing, this includes undergarments, socks, shoe laces and sweatbands (only a thin colour line is permitted on the neckline, sleeves, skirts and headbands, but must not exceed 10mm) but, where their clothing might lack in extreme branding and personality, their bling certainly does not.

Top of the list this year must be 19-year-old British player Emma Raducanu (who sadly was knocked out last week by Caroline Garcia in a straight-set defeat). In previous years Raducanu often opted for simple gold chains and bracelets. Not this year. Appointed as an ambassador for Tiffany & Co last summer, the young tennis star wore pearl teardrop earrings set in platinum, a matching bracelet and a classic white-gold Tiffany bangle - encrusted with diamonds, of course. The estimated value of the earrings alone? £30,000.

"BuT WHy WEaR sOMeOnE ElSE'S jEWeLLErY WhEN yOu CaN wEaR yOUR oWN?"

But why wear someone else's jewellery when you can wear your own? Arguably the queen of bling on the court is Serena Williams. Williams, currently ranked 411 in the world, has now become synonymous with her bold jewellery and fashion choices (who else remembers her diamond-encrusted Nike ‘broosh’ and her controversial catsuit at the 2018 Roland Garros championships in Paris?). This year, during her epic battle with Harmony Tan, she sported her eponymous jewellery line - Serena Williams Jewelry - and wore a gold diamond heart necklace from her collection ($1,100) and diamond ear cuffs.

You might be thinking 'that doesn’t sound too eccentric?' Well, Williams did not stop there, each time the tennis icon served, dived and rallied it was impossible not to notice the gigantic engagement ring on her left hand given by husband Alexis Ohanian. Of course, Williams would still play in it. Consisting of 12 carats, a huge emerald-cut diamond with small gems on each side and estimated to be valued at £1.4million, one colleague commented “she better not lose a diamond in play…”

"bUT oF cOUrSE, It'S NoT jUSt ABoUt ThE fEMaLE pLAyERs, tHE mEN LiKe ThEIr SpARkLE Too."

Young British hopeful Liam Broady, also unfortunately knocked out last week, wore an oversized gold box chain and matching gold bracelet whilst playing against Australian Alex De Minaur. However, it was Roger Federer who really stole the show - and he wasn't even playing in the competition.

The 40-year-old 20-time Grand Slam title winner attended a ceremony on Sunday commemorating the 100th anniversary of centre court games at the All England Club sporting a brand-new off-catalogue Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Orange’. It was enough to make all watch lovers swoon. the Daytona ‘Orange’ is crafted from 18ct yellow gold, is fitted on an Oysterflex strap and features a bezel mounted with 32 baguette-cut orange sapphires and a black dial with 11 baguette-cut orange sapphire hour markers. But good luck trying to find this beauty. It’s a model that’s not officially listed anywhere on Rolex’s website or on display in boutiques and is offered to only the most exclusive of clients. Damn!

So, with all this dazzling sparkle on the mind I have curated a wimbledon inspired edit so you can win in the jewellery stakes without having to lift a raquet.