Like many people getting ready for work in a hurry, the French -tennis player Alizé Cornet mistakenly put her top on back-to-front. The 28-year-old quickly realised her error after returning from a 10-minute heat break during a match at the US Open in New York, where players have been -sizzling in temperatures of up to 35 degrees. What she didn’t expect was that by walking to the back of the court and swiftly switching the pink-striped top the right way round, briefly flashing a black and red sports bra, tennis would be plunged into a new sexism row. According to an interpretation of the rules, female players are not allowed to remove their shirts on court, despite the fact their male counterparts do so freely. The chair umpire presiding over the match wasted no time issuing the world No 31 with a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cornet’s facial expression suggested she was confused and angered by Christian Rask’s decision but he was unmoved. The whole episode lasted less than 10 seconds but is another heavy blow to the image of a sport that seems to tie itself in knots when it comes to the treatment of women players. The timing of the row is uncomfortable for the tennis authorities. It is not even the first time this week that the attire of women players has been in the spotlight. The French Open has just announced new “wardrobe rules” with an effective ban on the “black panther” catsuit Serena -Williams wore at this year’s tournament. The 36-year-old, who was making a comeback at Roland Garros after her daughter’s birth, wore a tutu on court in New York yesterday in an apparent comment on the French decision. Male players such as Novak Djokovic were allowed to remove their shirts between games during Tuesday’s heat. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Cornet went on to lose the first-round match against Johanna -Larsson of Sweden 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 but the debate around double standards it has prompted is likely to linger far longer in the collective memory of sport fans. The Women’s Tennis Association, which runs women’s tennis, eventually ruled the code violation was given in error while the US Tennis Association, in charge of the US Open, expressed “regret” at the decision. Prominent figures in tennis rushed to highlight an apparent gender divide in how the rules are applied. Rafael Nadal, the men’s world No 1, has a habit of removing his shirt at the end of every match because he sweated so much and felt that taking it off would prevent him from developing a cold. Novak Djokovic and other male players took their shirts off between games on Tuesday in New York to cool themselves with ice and towels in the sweltering conditions. The “heat rule” was in effect during Cornet’s match meaning players were allowed to take a break to cool off and rehydrate after the second set, while men could take a break after the third set. It was at this point that she put her shirt back on the wrong way round. Judy Murray, an outspoken advocate of women in tennis and a former captain of Great Britain’s female Fed Cup team, criticised the decision on Twitter. The US player Bethanie Mattek-Sands called the decision “weak”, while Australia’s Casey Dellacqua said it was “ridiculous”. The former British player Annabel Croft, covering the tournament for Amazon Prime, said she would have done exactly the same thing as Cornet. The USTA issued a statement saying it “regrets” that a code violation was given and Cornet would face no further punishment. Cornet welcomed the US Open’s apology last night – then criticised the president of the French Tennis Federation for banning Williams’ catsuit. She said she was shocked by how much attention the incident had received and accepted it as simply a mistake by the umpire. She said: “I was surprised when I just changed T-shirt really quick and he gave me the code violation, I didn’t expect it, and I told him it was pretty weird. I think it’s very fair from them to apologise to me. I really appreciate it.”<doc-sep>The United States Open completed a massive renovation project around the grounds in time for its 50th anniversary this year. But with the construction crews gone and the tournament underway, the tournament still had work to do beyond its physical structures. The tournament, which in 1973 became the first of the Grand Slams to offer equal prize money to men and women, has been nimbly patching cracks in its proud foundation of gender equality. First, the tournament instituted a 10-minute break for men’s singles players, who play a best-of-five-set format, after the third set. The women have had such a break in extreme heat after the second set in their best-of-three matches for years.<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section Tennis Alize Cornet took her top off briefly after putting it on back-to-front 2018 US Open Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 27 August-9 September Coverage: Live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website The WTA has criticised US Open rules which saw French world number 31 Alize Cornet given a code violation for taking her shirt off on court. Cornet changed her shirt during the break between the second and third sets during her first-round defeat by Johanna Larsson, but realised it was back-to-front and switched it on court. But the chair umpire gave her a warning - a decision the WTA called "unfair". US Open organisers said they "regret" that Cornet was given a code violation. A WTA statement said the umpire's ruling "was not based on a WTA rule, as the WTA has no rule against a change of attire on court" and added that "Alize did nothing wrong". Cornet, 28, lost 6-4 3-6 2-6 to Sweden's Larsson in the searing New York heat. In a statement, the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which organises the US Open said: "All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair. This is not considered a code violation. "We have clarified the policy to ensure this will not happen moving forward. Fortunately, she was only assessed a warning with no further penalty or fine. "Female players, if they choose, may also change their shirts in a more private location close to the court, when available. They will not be assessed a bathroom break in this circumstance." On Tuesday, temperatures close to 38C (100F) at Flushing Meadows were made more stifling by humidity levels of more than 50%, with five male players forced to retire because of heat-related issues. Former Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua called Cornet's warning "ridiculous" while five-time Grand Slam doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands said it was "weak".