Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17781987821221778198778186.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"></span></span></span></div><p>Belarus&#x27; Aryna Sabalenka serves against Ukraine&#x27;s Elina Svitolina during their women&#x27;s singles semi-final match on day twelve of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 29, 2026. William West, AFP</p><div><br/></div><p>Aryna Sabalenka said Thursday that she hoped she would be able to play tennis under the Belarusian flag after the IOC lifted its ban on the country&#x27;s athletes competing in the Olympics.</p><p>World number one Sabalenka has had to compete under a neutral banner as a consequence of her country&#x27;s support for Russia following its ally&#x27;s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/1/1/zelensky-says-deal-to-end-war-10-percent-away-0854">invasion of Ukraine in 2022.</a></p><p>Asked whether the women&#x27;s tour would drop the ban on her representing her country, Sabalenka said: &quot;I really hope they&#x27;re going to give us our flag back.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I just know how much of an inspiration I am for young kids, I know that, and they send me messages, and I just want them to feel confident about no matter where you come from you can make it all the way to the top,&quot; said Sabalenka at the Italian Open in Rome.</p><p>&quot;For me representing such a small country, and the hard work that I had to do to get to the top, it&#x27;s just like, guys, it&#x27;s incredible, it&#x27;s a small country, and to make it all the way here, it means a lot to me.</p><p>&quot;I would be super proud to represent Belarus.&quot;</p><p>Sabalenka was speaking to reporters after sweeping aside Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-3 at the Foro Italico, where she is aiming to win for the first time.</p><p>The 28-year-old is favorite to win in the Italian capital ahead of the French Open which kicks off later this month.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/5/love-match-wta-no-1-sabalenka-announces-engagement-0738">Love match: WTA No. 1 Sabalenka announces engagement</a><br/><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/5/5/tennis-alex-eala-practices-with-germany-s-siegmund-ahead-of-italian-open-campaign-2250">Tennis: Alex Eala practices with Germany’s Siegmund ahead of Italian Open campaign </a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M8hM-mEvwu0?&amp;pp=0gcJCQMLAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Aryna Sabalenka said Thursday that she hoped she would be able to play tennis under the Belarusian flag after the IOC lifted its ban on the country's athletes competing in the Olympics.</p>

Aryna Sabalenka said Thursday that she hoped she would be able to play tennis under the Belarusian flag after the IOC lifted its ban on the country's athletes competing in the Olympics.

Sabalenka hopes to compete under Belarus flag after IOC ruling

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Sabalenka hopes to compete under Belarus flag after IOC ruling

Agence France-Presse

Published May 08, 2026 08:11 AM PHT

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Sabalenka

Belarus

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