Australian Open makes its policy clear on Russian flags after Ukrainian Ambassador’s complaints
Following the controversial incident on Day-1 of the 2023 Australian Open, Tennis Australia has made their stance clear on allowing Russian and Belarusian flags.
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Russian Flag during the match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova
The 2023 Australian Open got off to a great start. Despite the sudden shock withdrawal of Nick Kyrgios, it was a good day overall. Teens Shang Juncheng, Coco Gauff, and Emma Raducanu won their respective matches. Defending champion Rafael Nadal also fought on a hot day at Melbourne Park to start his title defense.
For controversies, the day had only Daniil Medvedev abusing some fans who tried to disrupt him. The incident occurred in the third and final set during his match against Marcos Giron. Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk beat Amanda Anisimova in straight-sets to shift the focus on Ukraine once again.
Ukraine however came into the conversation once again but not due to Kostyuk’s win. During the first-round match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, a Russian flag was seen on the courtside brought by some fans.
The Australian Open had earlier allowed the flags to be brought in but not to disturb players. However, the complaints from Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko and former pro Sergiy Stakhovsky also coming to the scene, the final call has been taken by Tennis Australia to ban the flags completely inside Melbourne Park.
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Australian Open issues statement declaring the ban
With the incident coming to light late in the day in Australia, Craig Tiley-led Tennis Australia did not waste much time. Ahead of the start of Day 2 at the 2023 Australian Open, they banned the flags from Russia and Belarus issuing a statement.
“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.
“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,” read the verdict of the governing body.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand, tweeted out saying, “I strongly condemn the public display of the 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.”
The incident sparked a great debate on social media. While many sympathized as the war continues to tear Ukraine apart, others felt that supporting their own nation wasn’t disturbing to others. While debates can continue to go on social media, all one can hope for is the War ends at the earliest and normalcy be restored in the war-affected region.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)