"Cancun's dress code is a hot mess": Why Iga Swiatek wore red when every other player was dressed in white at 2023 WTA Finals

Tennis fans were left confused by Iga Swiatek's outfit at the 2023 WTA Finals gala in Cancun when the four-time Grand Slam champion wore red while all other players were dressed in white.

The World No. 2 secured a spot in the 2023 WTA Finals after a strong season which saw her successfully defend her French Open title and pick up five WTA titles. She competed at the prestigious season-ending championship in both 2022 and 2021, with her best result being a run to the semi-final last year.

The seven other players to qualify for this year's WTA Finals were World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, US Open champion Coco Gauff, 2022 and 2023 Wimbledon champions Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova, as well as Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, and Karolina Muchova. The latter player has since withdrawn due to injury and has been replaced by Maria Sakkari.

Ahead of the tournament taking place, the players attended the WTA Finals gala and were pictured together in their formal outfits. However, fans couldn't help noticing that while every other player was dressed in white, Swiatek stood out in a bright red dress. The outfit was designed by Magda Butrym and is worth $1947.

Ellen Perez, who is competing at the Finals in doubles with partner Nichole Melichar-Martinez, provided some clarity on what happened, revealing that the dress code for the gala was repeatedly altered.

"Cancuns dress code is a hot mess. Went from all white to colors allowed to casual not too formal but with the request it be tropical. So honestly the message has been so mixed up I pray," she wrote on X.

Regardless of the mix up, many fans loved the dress and shared their compliments on social media, calling it "stunning" and "priceless."

Swiatek will begin her campaign at the WTA Finals in the group stage on Monday, October 30. Her first match will be against seventh seed Vondrousova, before she takes on third seed Gauff on Tuesday, October 31.