Wimbledon 2017: Venus Williams in trouble with SW19 authorities for wearing pink bra

The All England Lawn Tennis Club enforces a strict 'all white' dress code on competitors

Venus Williams wore the bright pink bra for the majority of her first round win (Getty)

Venus Williams found herself in violation of Wimbledon’s strict ‘all white’ rule on Monday when her bright pink bra strap became exposed during play.

Williams changed the bra during a rain break in the second set of her 7-6, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Elise Mertens, provoking speculation that she had been spoken to by tournament officials.

When questioned about her clothing after her opening round match, Williams said: “What pink bra? I don't like talking about bras in press conferences. It's weird.

“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.”

The bra was initially hidden underneath Williams’ dress but became visible as she moved on court during the match.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s regulations on clothing state that “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)”.

Wimbledon officials refused to confirm or deny whether they had spoken to Williams about her choice of clothing, telling The Daily Telegraph that it was “a private matter” between the club and the player.

The tournament's strictly-enforced dress code has sparked controversy in the past, with Roger Federer falling foul of authorities for sporting white tennis shoes with orange soles.

“My personal opinion, I think it's too strict,” the seven-time SW19 champions said in 2014. “If you look at the pictures of Edberg, Becker, there was some colours, you know, but it was 'all white'.”

Eugenie Bouchard, the 2014 runner-up, was spoken to by tournament officials after she appeared to display a black bra strap during her 2015 first-round defeat to China's Ying-Ying Duan.

Additional reporting by PA