Australian Open bans Russian and Belarusian flags from tournament

Russian and Belarusian flags person been banned from the Australian Open tennis tourney aft a courtside incident.

Spectators were initially permitted to bring the flags into Melbourne Park connected the information they bash not origin "disruption".

But the organisers reversed that determination connected Tuesday, aft fans displayed a Russian emblem during a lucifer betwixt Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.

The prohibition is effectual immediately.

"We volition proceed to enactment with the players and our fans to guarantee the champion imaginable situation to bask the tennis," Tennis Australia said successful a statement.

Ukrainian fans accidental they called constabulary and information to the first-round lucifer connected Monday, claiming Russian supporters were "taunting" Baindl.

"This is profoundly unsafe, the warfare is ongoing," 1 instrumentality told section paper The Age. "It's a tiny court, the guys were highly adjacent to the players, truthful determination was an constituent of what I felt was intimidation."

But 1 of the Russian men progressive told The Age his radical had simply been cheering their countrywoman on.

"People tin presumption that arsenic being obnoxious but we were conscionable being your mean supporters. There was nary ridiculing oregon disrespect."

Ukraine's ambassador to Australia and New Zealand had earlier called connected Tennis Australia to instrumentality action.

Russian and Belarusian athletes person not been capable to play nether their countries' flags successful respective sports, including tennis, since the penetration of Ukraine began successful February past year.

While players from the 2 countries are competing nether a neutral achromatic emblem during the Australian Open, they were banned from playing astatine Wimbledon altogether successful 2022.

Organisers were subsequently fined and the tourney was stripped of its ranking points by the Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association. The WTA said adjacent opportunities for players to vie arsenic individuals had to beryllium protected.

The Victorian authorities authorities connected Tuesday said Tennis Australia had made the close decision.

"Russia's penetration of Ukraine is abhorrent," acting premier Jancinta Allan said. "It breaches planetary quality rights obligations. It's been enabled and supported by Belarus."

"[This] sends a very, precise wide connection that quality rights are important, whether it's successful sport, oregon much broadly successful our community."

The prohibition comes aft Ukrainian tennis subordinate Marta Kostyuk said she would not shingle hands with opponents from Russia and Belarus who she believes person not done capable to condemn the invasion.