17-year-old British tennis hopeful Laura Robson exited the Australian Open at the first hurdle on Monday when she lost in straight sets to Jelena Jankovic. The result would not have surprised many tennis experts, seeing as Robson is ranked 161 in the world and Jankovic 14, but the match caught the attention of the tennis world due to a rainbow-coloured hairband the English youngster wore during the game.
The hairband raised eyebrows as the game took place in an arena named after the Australian tennis sensation Margaret Court, who caused controversy the previous week by expressing her opposition to gay marriages. Robson denied that she was making a protest but did say: "I wore it because I believe in equal rights for everyone."
Here are some other incidents where sportsmen and women caused controversy for wearing something in addition to their sports kit.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments