Tennis Australia issues ban amid controversy with Russian flag flown during Australian Open match

Tuesday, 17 January 2023 at 10:26

On the opening day of the Australian Open, Kateryna Baindl and Kamille Rakhimova faced off in a match between Ukraine and Russian players that courted controversy.

This due to a Russian flag being flown by the team of the latter which saw Tennis Australia swiftly issue a ban on hanging Russian and Belarusian flags.

“Flags from Russia and Belarus are banned onsite at the Australian Open,” Tennis Australia said in a statement Tuesday morning.

“Our initial policy was that fans could bring them in but could not use them to cause disruption. Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside. The ban is effective immediately.

“We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis.”

The Russian Embassy in Australia responded calling it a ‘politicisation of sport’ and ‘unacceptable’.

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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

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