Is this offensive?

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) was forced to apologise yesterday after a volley of criticism was aimed at the club after this cheeky iconic image was posted on Twitter.


Some Twitter users slammed the world-famous club for posting the image, which adorned the walls of teenagers in the 1970s, to promote the Powerful Posters exhibition, which opens at the Lawn Tennis Museum tomorrow.

Campaign group Everyday Sexism said: So disappointing from official @Wimbledon twitter account, while players continue to struggle with sexism in sport.”

Some tennis fans questioned whether the image was sexist or anti-feminist and some called for the club to be left alone.

Sadie Hochfield tweeted: "Ridiculous Wimbledon are getting stick for sharing iconic poster. Political correctness gone mad/don't pretend you've never seen it before!"

The AELTC said: “We apologise for offence caused by the Athena Tennis Girl poster. It is a controversial piece of poster history but we do not endorse it.”

The apology was re-tweeted more than 100 times.

The white tennis dress worn by the model in the image will be on display at the museum as part of the exhibition Powerful Posters: Tennis and Advertising, 1893 to 2015.

Tennis Girl, which first featured on a 1977 calendar, later achieved worldwide fame as a poster, produced by Athena, selling more than 2 million copies worldwide. The poster is so well-known that the pose has been parodied several times, even by 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash.

The model, Fiona Butler, was 18 years-old at the time and had borrowed the dress and racket from her friend, Carol Knotts. The dress was handmade by Knotts herself from a pattern.

What do you think? Is this offensive? Email letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk