Why does Aryna Sabalenka play without a flag? Explained
Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka / PAP
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is known not only for her success on the tennis court. One of the most popular Google searches about the Belarusian star is now: "Why does Sabalenka compete without a flag?"
The answer is straightforward: Sabalenka is a citizen of Belarus.
In the spring of 2022, the International Tennis Federation suspended the memberships of the Belarusian and Russian tennis federations. Tournaments in both countries were canceled, and their national teams were barred from international competition.
At the same time, the WTA and ATP allowed Belarusian and Russian players to continue competing on the professional tour, but only as neutral athletes. As long as the suspension of the national federations remains in place, Sabalenka will continue to compete without a national flag next to her name.
Until the summer of 2023, Sabalenka had largely avoided public comments on Aliaksandr Lukashenka's repressive policies or Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
That changed during the 2023 French Open. After reaching the semifinals, Sabalenka told reporters that she did not support the war and therefore did not support Lukashenka.
Asked about photographs taken with Lukashenka in previous years, she said: "He attended our Fed Cup matches in Belarus and took pictures with us afterward. At that time, nothing bad was happening in Belarus, Ukraine or Russia."
When a journalist followed up by asking whether she still supported Lukashenka, Sabalenka replied: "It's a complicated question. I don't support the war, which means I don't support Lukashenka at the moment."
