Russian, Belarusian flags banned from Australian Open 2023

Ban comes after several flags brought by spectators on day 1

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Russian and Belarusian flags were banned from Australian Open 2023, the governing body for tennis in Australia said on Tuesday.

"Our initial policy was that fans could bring (flags) in but could not use them to cause disruption,” Tennis Australia said, adding: “Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside. We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure that this is the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis."

Russian flags were seen in Kateryna Baindl-Kamilla Rakhimova and Daniil Medvedev-Marcos Giron games on day 1, which triggered the ban to be applied.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a war on Ukraine, which was met with international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, imposing tough sanctions on Moscow.

Russian sports clubs and teams have also been barred from international tournaments and competitions since the start of the war.

The EU is set to impose new sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine, according to the European Commission.

The 111th edition of the Australian Open, which began on Monday, will conclude on Jan. 29.

Kaynak: