The US Open, which was the first Grand Slam tournament to award equal pay to women, likes to think of itself as a champion of equality and on Wednesday it moved swiftly in response to criticism following the previous day’s bizarre incident involving Alize Cornet. The 28-year-old Frenchwoman left the court during a 10-minute heat break before the deciding set of her third-round encounter with Johanna Larsson. During the break she changed her kit, but suddenly realised on her return to the court that she had put her top on back-to-front. Cornet quickly took off the top, revealing her black-and-red sports bra, and put it back on the right way round. The whole process took only 15 seconds, but it earned the world No 31 a code violation from Christian Rask, the chair umpire. Meanwhile male players have been regularly seen changing their shirts at changeovers without any punishment. Recommended Cornet punished for removing top during match in US Open sexism storm The punishment was clearly absurd and prompted a torrent of criticisms. Judy Murray led the way on Twitter, pointing out the discrepancy between the rules for men and women, with the former Australian player Casey Dellacqua describing it as “ridiculous”. The United States Tennis Association responded on Wednesday by saying that it did not consider Cornet’s actions to have been a code violation. “All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair,” the USTA said in a statement. “We regret that a code violation was assessed to Ms Cornet yesterday. 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.” Alize Cornet was handed a code violation (EPA) The USTA also said that female players would be given the option of changing their kit in a more private location close to the court when available. “They will not be assessed a bathroom break in this circumstance,” the statement said. Meanwhile the Women’s Tennis Association was keen to point out that it did not have any rules preventing players from changing their outfits on court. It pinned the blame on the US Open. “The code violation that the USTA handed to Alize Cornet during her first round match at the US Open was unfair and it was not based on a WTA rule, as the WTA has no rule against a change of attire on court,” the WTA said in a statement. “The WTA has always been and always will be a pioneer for women and women’s sports. This code violation came under the Grand Slam rules and we are pleased to see the USTA has now changed this policy. Alize did nothing wrong.” Recommended Konta determined to end her Grand Slam slump by regaining seeding You can usually guarantee that fashion will be a topic of conversation here at the US Open. Unfettered by the all-white clothing rules in the year’s previous Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon, kit manufacturers seem to relish the opportunity to deck out their players in eye-catching outfits. Cornet was wearing a stripey pink outfit, while many of Nike’s players here have been wearing a light-coloured dress featuring a split to the thigh, exposing flashes of bright shorts, and another at the back. However, nobody has attempted a version of the black catsuit which Serena Williams wore at the French Open earlier this summer and which the Roland-Garros authorities have subsequently said will not be allowed in the future.<doc-sep>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 U.S. Open says it regrets that a player was given a code violation for changing her shirt on the court during a match, clarifying its rules on when that is allowed. Alize Cornet of France reacts after loosing a point during the women's singles match against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, on the second day at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday July 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) NEW YORK — The U.S. Open says it regrets that a player was given a code violation for changing her shirt on the court during a match, clarifying its rules on when that is allowed. Alize Cornet of France returned from a break in action during her match Tuesday with her shirt on backward. She took off the shirt and put it back on correctly while standing near the back of the court and was given a code violation by the chair umpire. The penalty drew criticism on social media, with people — including Andy Murray’s mother, Judy — noting that men frequently change their shirts while sitting in their chairs during changeovers. Alize Cornet came back to court after 10 minute heat break. Had her fresh shirt on back to front. Changed at back of court. Got a code violation. Unsportsmanlike conduct….. But the men can change shirts on court. https://t.co/sCN4KDXYTb — judy murray (@JudyMurray) August 28, 2018 Tournament officials said in a statement Wednesday that all players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair, adding that female players can also change their shirts in a private location near the court if it is available without being assessed a bathroom break.<doc-sep>A simple shirt adjustment at the US Open is whirling into a hot controversy over what was reportedly a very controversial application of a code violation. Alize Cornet came back to court after 10 minute heat break. Had her fresh shirt on back to front. Changed at back of court. Got a code violation. Unsportsmanlike conduct….. 😳 But the men can change shirts on court. https://t.co/sCN4KDXYTb — judy murray (@JudyMurray) August 28, 2018 Alize Cornet, like every other tennis player at the US Open this week was very hot. It has been so hot at the tournament that there is a “heat rule” in place to protect players. So Cornet, like many other athletes and everyday people playing sports do when they are hot, changed into a fresh shirt in the middle of a match. Then, according to reports, she noticed it was on the wrong way. No big deal right, I mean she’s wearing a sports bra and she did it very quickly? Eh, sometimes the world is terrible. From The Telegraph: When she returned to the court, Cornet realised her shirt was on the wrong way round and so quickly changed it. The adjustment took no more than 15 seconds and she was wearing a sports-bra. However, the chair umpire stunned Cornet by hitting her with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty – though it wasn’t immediately clear if it was for a time violation or the actual shirt removal – in response to the seemingly innocent action. People were outraged at the reports. Because being penalized for something like that is ridiculous, especially with the heat. Alize Cornet was handed a court violation at the #USOpen for breifly removing her shirt, highlighting the disparity between male and female players. https://t.co/sxBmXpqpSv pic.twitter.com/SlJkeapxzW — ABC Grandstand (@abcgrandstand) August 29, 2018 More from the Telegraph: “Maybe the rules should change to be a little better for us. But we also understand this is a business, we are not robots, we can’t just do our thing,” Cornet said then, after a loss to Elise Mertens. “I don’t want to play a match like today again. I understand both sides. It’s ugly for everyone. “It’s heat stroke, I started feeling very bad, my head was spinning, my body hurt, it’s very strange. I felt that if I continued I had a good chance of serious problem.” Busted for code violation 🙄 #alizecornet took 10 sec to turn top right way but #novacdjokovic can sit for minutes half-naked. Same comp. Days after @serenawilliams slammed for disrespecting tennis because she wore a #catsuit. Not fair. Not right. Tell your daughters 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pJILnwvUvG — Alissa Warren (@alissawarren) August 29, 2018 I found out tonight from the ref the rule @usopen for women to change shirts on court has been a code violation for years… I did not know that… In my day Barbara Potter did it often, I did it a few times. How about another rule “change” ? — Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) August 29, 2018 The US Open issued this statement on Wednesday morning: US Open Statement on Change of Attire Policy pic.twitter.com/Kt7EcuPz1S — US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2018 Read more at USA TODAY Sports.<doc-sep>
Alize Cornet was hit with a controversial code violation for briefly taking off her shirt after realizing she had it on backwards. Alize Cornet was assessed a code violation for briefly taking off her shirt at the U.S. Open after realizing it was on backwards. It was so hot at the Open on Tuesday (temperatures were in the mid-90's, with heat indexes surpassing 100) that an Extreme Heat rule was put into effect for both men and women. Women were permitted a 10-minute break between the second and third sets, while men could take the same break between the third and fourth sets. After splititng the first two sets with Johanna Larsson in a first-round match, Cornet took her break before returning to the court for tthe decisive third set. She realized that her shirt was on backwards, then took it off with the sole intention of fixing her mistake. A male umpire then assessed Cornet with the code violation. She was warned and not penalized a point, but the decision was widely criticized, sparking claims of sexism. It is not uncommon for men to remove their shirts on-court. Cornet would go on to lose the match. The controversy comes shortly after the French Open announced a controversial new attire policy that specifically banned the catsuit Serena Williams wore at this year's tournament in Paris. The French Open's Banning of Serena Williams's Catsuit Defies Explanation The U.S. Open released a statement in response: "All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair. This is not considered a Code Violation. We regret that a Code Violation was assessed to Ms. Cornet yesterday. 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." The WTA issued its own statement, calling the code violation "unfair" and suggesting that "Alize did nothing wrong."