US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka claims fourth slam without a national flag beside her name; here is the surprising reason

Aryna Sabalenka secured her fourth Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final on Saturday, September 6. She became the first woman since Serena Williams to win back-to-back titles at the tournament. The match, held under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium due to rain, saw the world No. 1 recover from a near slip in the second set to seal her triumph.

But there was something unusual on the scoreboard: Sabalenka’s name appeared without a national flag. It's actually since 2022; she has competed without representing a country, yet has claimed three Grand Slam titles in that period. The absence of a flag stems from restrictions on Belarusian athletes following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Background: Neutral status for Belarusian athletes

Born in Minsk, Belarus, in 1998, Sabalenka has been affected by international sanctions imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with the support of Belarus. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) suspended players from both countries from competing under their national flags, though they are allowed to participate as individuals. The ITF stated, “Players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete in international tennis events as individuals. However, they will not compete under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus until further notice.”

Wimbledon initially enforced a complete ban in 2022 but later relaxed the restrictions, allowing players to compete as neutral athletes under strict guidelines: no flags, anthems, expressions of political support, or sponsorship from state-owned companies, according to the New York Times.

Sabalenka’s views on war

Sabalenka started playing tennis as a child by chance in Belarus. In a 2017 interview with First Post, she recalled, “One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and on the way he saw tennis courts. So he took me to the courts. I really liked it and enjoyed it, and that’s how it started.”

Since Sabalenka first declined to categorically denounce the war, she has been the subject of more questions than most other players on the tour. In response to inquiries about whether she supported Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and about pictures that had gone viral showing her shaking hands with him, she told reporters during the 2023 French Open, "It's a tough question. I don’t support war, meaning I don’t support Lukashenko right now," as per Politico.