Picture Credit: Twitter
In a big update, Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned at the ongoing Australian Open 2023. This decision was announced after a complaint was filed from the Ukraine ambassador to Australia on Monday (January 16). The red, white and blue stripe-flag of Russia were seen during the match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova on Day 1 of the Australian Open 2023.
The Ukraine ambassador to Australia took to Twitter with a message which read, “I strongly condemn the public display of Russian flag during the game of the Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Baindl at the Australian Open today. I call on Tennis Australia to immediately enforce its “neutral flag” policy,” he wrote.
The Tennis Australia was quick to respond to this situation stating, “Flags from Russia and Belarus are banned onsite at the Australian Open”. “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,” it further read.
Notably, a Russian flag was also unfurled on Rod Laver Arena during Daniil; Medvedev’s match against America’s Marcos Giron.
