“It was the first time anyone had ever talked to them about their bra,” Aryna Sabalenka and 91 top-seeded WTA players talk to breast health researcher Deirdre McGhee to chance upon shocking revelations

The health researcher talked about the downside effects of wearing a wrongly fitted bra.

“It was the first time anyone had ever talked to them about their bra,” Aryna Sabalenka and 91 top-seeded WTA players talk to breast health researcher Deirdre McGhee to chance upon shocking revelations

Deirdre McGhee talks about wrong bra sizes worn by top female athletes (Images via Imago, ABC)

Women’s tennis is flourishing with top players on the tour achieving new heights. However, there is still a chance that a top WTA player might be playing while wearing a bra that is not suitable for them.

This is not a claim made out of thin air but is backed by a small survey conducted by renowned health researcher Deirdre McGhee, from Breast Research Australia at the University of Wollongong.

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She claims that when she asked 91 out of the top 140 players on the tour to watch their breasts while running on a treadmill, many were shocked to find out that they were wearing a wrongly fitted bra. McGhee claims that 85% of players on the WTA tour are playing while wearing the wrong bra size.

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None of the athletes had ever looked at their breasts when they ran and they were surprised by how much their breasts moved and how unsupportive many of their bras were. They couldn't believe they'd got to this level of their career in sport and it was the first time anyone had ever talked to them about their bra.
Deirdre McGhee said. (H/T: ABC)

The breast health researcher also talked about the downside effects of wearing the wrong bra size on tennis players. McGhee says that as there is a lot of breast movement when tennis players are in action, wearing the wrong bra might lead to overuse injuries and pain. 

There's a lot of breast movement when a woman plays tennis — the more you run, jump and have forceful movements of your upper limbs, the more your breasts will move. That movement can bring your shoulders forward, which isn't good for overuse injuries and the more you move, the more women experience breast pain.
Deirdre McGhee explained.

Deirdre McGhee demands for better tennis dress designing

The breast health researcher then talked about the negligence of wearing the right bra size and the awareness around it. Deirdre McGhee highlighted that most of the sports apparel companies that sponsor these top WTA players don’t even consider that athletes wear bras.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Via Imago)

She went on to demand that as these big brands are already making sports bras, they must design dresses that accommodate bras. 

These tennis uniforms they're being sent are made and designed without considering a bra, and many of the companies they're sponsored by actually make good sports bras, so they can access them. They need to think about the bra when they're designing the tennis dress or shirt.
Deirdre McGhee said demanding better tennis uniforms

She further highlighted that most athletes and coaches don’t consider bras as a piece of sporting equipment. This leads to athletes sometimes not wearing a bra at all let alone wearing the wrongly fitted one.

McGhee also talked about athletes like Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki who return to the sport after becoming a mother. She pointed out that they also need to change their bras as the breast size changes after pregnancy.

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