Why does Serena Williams play with tape on her neck?

Serena Williams is back at Wimbledon and not just playing doubles withe her sister Venus. The American great is back after winning 23 Grand Slams and retiring back in 2022.

Tape makes another appearance on Serena Williams’ cheek

Serena has been seen wearing tape on her neck at Wimbledon. The 44-year-old wears strips of the stretchy, movable medical tape, also known as kinesiology tape. She explained many years ago that her sinus condition used to interfere with her performance on the court.

As a ‘sinus sufferer’, as she calls herself, she can experience headaches and pain. The tape was used to relieve those symptoms so that she could concentrate on serving up her best game.

The Kinesio Taping method

According to its manufacturer, “The Kinesio Taping method is a therapeutic taping technique which alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin.”

The use of the colorful tape first gained popularity after Olympic athletes were seen wearing it in the 2008 Being Olympics, then at the 2012 London Games.

Some studies have found that there has been some benefit to using the elastic tape, but just like many other therapies that gain popularity, there are skeptics as well as research claiming that the benefits, if any, are minimal.

Other researchers claim that any improvement that athletes experience is just a result of the placebo effect.

These kinds of treatments will more often than not cause a debate among believers and detractors, but in the end, if they are not found to be harmful, athletes will likely use them if they in any way improve their performance in sports.

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