Tennis Australia bans Russia and Belarus flags at the Australian Open

The Russian flag was displayed on the fence behind Court 14 at Melbourne Park as Baindl won the match in three sets. Later on Monday, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev was presented with a Russian flag for autographs following his straight sets win against American Marcos Giron. Players from Russia and Belarus can compete in the Australian Open, the first of the four major tournaments, but cannot do so under their country’s or flag. This practice has been common since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Of the Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon alone banned players from Russia and Belarus from competing altogether, resulting in the men’s and women’s professional tours losing world ranking points for the tournament.

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Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand, was said on social media On Monday, he strongly condemned the display of the flag and called on Tennis Australia to enforce the tournament’s neutral flag policy.

Ukrainian fans told Age, an Australian newspaper, that they had called in police and security because they believed Russian supporters were threatening Baindl. This is very dangerous. The war is on, one fan told the newspaper. It’s a small court. The guys were very close to the players. So I felt there was an element of intimidation.

One of the Russian boosters told the Age that they were just showing their support for Rakhimova, who only had her mother in her supporter box. People may find it disgusting, but we were just your normal supporters, said Eugene Routman, a 36-year-old fan wearing a Mother Russia T-shirt with a picture of a shirtless Vladimir Putin with devil horns on a horse. . There was no mockery or disrespect.

Routman, who said he was born in Moscow but moved to Australia when he was 5, added: Sport has nothing to do with politics and politics should have nothing to do with sport. It’s a tennis game. You punish tennis players who are probably against the war, but they can’t speak because Russia is not a democracy.

Melbourne’s Victorian state government acting premier Jancinta Allen praised Tennis Australia’s decision. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is disgusting, he said. According to the BBC. It violates international human rights obligations. Belarus has adopted it and supports it. [This] sends a very, very clear message that human rights are important, whether in sport or in our wider community.

Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist from Belarus, told reporters that while she wants to keep politics and sport separate, she understands Tennis Australia’s decision.

If everyone feels better this way, then there’s no problem, said Fifth place Sabalenka of the tournament. I have zero control over it. What can I say? They did it. Okay. No tickets? No tickets.