Newly-crowned Australian Open Ladies singles champion Aryna Sabalenka could miss Wimbledon again this year with officials in London likely to continue their ban on all Russian and Belaurusian players in the wake of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
With pro- Russian supporters causing mayhem in Melbourne last week singing pro-Mosocs songs and flying banned Russian flags, Wimbledon officials will be keen to avoid similar scenes in June.
Already Sabalenka’s win of Russian, come part-time Kazakh Elena Rybakina, has given valuable PR to Vladimir Putin’s illegal war.
Australian officials were concerned on Sunday those same unruly fans could purchase ground passes for as little as $29 and access the same areas as they did in Wednesday during Novak Djokovic’s quarter final win in the men’s singles.
Sabaklenka tries too brush aside concerns over her eligibility for Wimbledon saying she was “right now on an other planet” after her triumph.
“I still feel like I’m trying to understand what’s just happened,” Sabalenka said parading the trophy.
“It’s the best morning of my life. It’s so beautiful.”
Sabalenka’s name was quickly engraved on the trophy before the presentation immediately after the match, but her country of origin, Belarus, was conspicuously absent.
Belarus is currently not recognised by the WTA or the ITF because it supports Russia and Sabalenka, along with other Russian and Belarusian players have to play as ‘neutrals’
