The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia has been heard. The Australian Tennis Federation has announced the banning of the Russian and Belarusian flags from the Melbourne stadium, seen during some matches of the first round of the Australian Open.
The Russian tricolor was thus seen on Monday during the match between Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl and Russian player Kamilla Rakhimova, which did not fail to shock the Ukrainians. In the stands, Ukrainian supporters then called on the security services and the police to react.
Avoid disturbances
“The Russian and Belarusian flags are banned on site at the Australian Open,” the Australian Federation said in a statement, adding that the ban took “immediate” effect. “Our initial policy was that fans could bring them but could not use them to cause disruption,” Tennis Australia added.
A Russian flag was also seen on the Rod Laver Arena during the match between Daniil Medvedev and American Marcos Giron. Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, called on the Australian federation on Monday to take action.
“I strongly condemn the public display of Russian flags during Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Baindl’s match at the Australian Open,” he tweeted, adding that he called on the Australian Federation to enforce the “neutral flag policy”.
Myroshnychenko did not want Russian and Belarusian players in OA
Mr Myroshnychenko had urged the Australian Open last week to ban Russian and Belarusian players altogether – Belarus supporting Vladimir Putin’s war – as Wimbledon did last year.
“You could have banned Russian players and positioned yourself by responding seriously to these predictable incidents, but you chose cowardice”, lamented on Twitter the former Australian ambassador to Ukraine, Doug Trappett, in post in 2015 and 2016.
World number five Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka said she had no objections to Tennis Australia banning flags “if everyone feels better that way”, but said the sport was not not “politics”.
Sabalenka understands
“I have no control over it. What can I say ? They did, OK, no flags,” added Sabalenka, who was among the players banned from Wimbledon last year.
Asked if she could understand that some Ukrainian fans might be upset by the sight of Russian or Belarusian flags, she replied: “I’m pretty sure they (are) hurt by this, and if Tennis Australia made this decision to make them feel better, okay”.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, Russian and Belarusian players have competed under neutral banners at competitions, including the Australian Open.