Wimbledon allows tennis players to wear expressions of grief following the death of footballer Diogo Jota. The Grand Slam tournament normally has strict dress codes, and nothing may be worn on the white clothing.
It is the first time in the history of the Grand Slam tournament in London that the wearing of expressions of grief has been permitted.
Two Portuguese tennis players will be in action in London on Friday. In the singles, the best Portuguese player at the moment, Nuno Borges, will compete against Karen Khachanov. Doubles player Francisco Cabral also made an appearance. He lost in the second round. Cabral played with a black mourning ribbon on his left sleeve.
Cabral learned the news on Thursday as he was on his way to the Wimbledon complex. “I couldn’t get a mourning ribbon in time today, but I want to next time,” Cabra said after his first-round match with Austrian Lucas Miedler.
The press conference of the Portuguese doubles specialist was attended by press from all over the world on Thursday. “That man (Diogo Jota, ed.) is a big name, not only in Portugal but all over the world. He was a great person with a nice family and three children. It is very difficult for his family to get over this,” said the world number forty in doubles.
The death of Jota and his brother has hit hard in the entire sports world, as became clear from all the reactions on Thursday. Many tennis players also indicated that they were touched by the news.
