You’re watching the Australian Open or maybe a late-night match at the US Open, and there she is: Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one with that ferocious serve and the tiger tattoo on her arm. She’s dominating. She’s winning Grand Slams. But if you look at the TV scoreboard or the official draw, something is... off. Where most players have a tiny, colorful flag of their home nation, Sabalenka has nothing. Or maybe just a plain, empty white box. Sometimes it’s a blue rectangle.
It feels weird, right? Especially for a player who has basically become the face of women's tennis over the last couple of years.
The short answer is that Aryna Sabalenka is a victim of a massive geopolitical standoff. She is Belarusian. And because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the governing bodies of tennis decided that having the Belarusian flag fly next to her name—or the Russian flag next to players like Daniil Medvedev—was simply not going to happen.
Why doesn't Sabalenka have a flag by her name on tour?
The decision didn't happen overnight, but it was swift. Back in March 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began, the "Big Four" of tennis—the WTA, ATP, ITF, and the four Grand Slams—issued a joint statement. They condemned the invasion and immediately suspended the Russian and Belarusian Tennis Federations.
But they didn't ban the players themselves. Not initially, anyway.
Instead, they took away their national identity on the court. The rule is pretty simple: athletes from Russia and Belarus can play as individuals, but they cannot represent their countries. No flags. No national anthems if they win. No "Belarus" written next to their names on the TV graphics.
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The neutral athlete status
Honestly, it’s a bit of a tightrope walk for the sport. Unlike some other sports that banned these athletes entirely, tennis decided to let them keep working. But that "neutral" status means Sabalenka essentially competes as a woman without a country.
If you’ve noticed the colors change, you aren't imagining things. At the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025, the broadcasters actually used a blue rectangle where the flag should be. It was a stylistic choice to make the "neutrality" look less like a technical glitch and more like a deliberate status. At other tournaments, it’s just a blank white space.
The Wimbledon exception that changed everything
For a while, the "no flag" rule was the standard. Then Wimbledon took it a step further.
In 2022, the All England Club actually banned Sabalenka and all other Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament entirely. They didn't care about the neutral flag compromise. They didn't want a situation where a member of the Royal Family might have to hand a trophy to an athlete from a country currently aiding an invasion.
Sabalenka had to sit at home while the grass-court season went on without her. It was a mess. The WTA and ATP were so furious about the "discrimination" that they actually stripped Wimbledon of its ranking points that year. It turned the most prestigious tournament in the world into an exhibition match.
By 2023, Wimbledon blinked. They allowed the players back, but under even stricter rules than the other Slams. Sabalenka and her peers had to sign personal declarations of neutrality. They had to prove they weren't receiving funding from their governments and that they weren't publicly supporting the war.
Is this ever going to change?
As of early 2026, the policy hasn't budged. Sabalenka is still winning titles—she grabbed her fourth Grand Slam at the 2025 US Open—and she's still doing it under a blank graphic.
There's a lot of talk behind the scenes. Coco Gauff mentioned recently that players and officials are still having these conversations, wondering if the "neutral" status is a permanent fixture now. No one really has a clear exit strategy. As long as the conflict in Ukraine continues and Belarus remains a key ally to Russia, the "no flag" rule is almost certainly staying put.
What Sabalenka says about it
It’s been a heavy load for her. Imagine being the best in the world at what you do, but being treated like a pariah for something you didn't choose. Sabalenka has been grilled in press conferences more than almost anyone else on tour.
In a particularly tense moment during the 2023 French Open, she finally made her stance clear after skipping a few pressers for her own mental health. She told the world: "I don't support war, meaning I don't support Lukashenko right now."
Alexander Lukashenko is the leader of Belarus. For a Belarusian athlete, saying that is a huge deal. It’s risky. But even with that on the record, the flag hasn't come back. The tennis world decided that the symbol of the country is bigger than the individual words of the player.
How this affects the fans and the game
If you’re a casual fan, it might just look like a weird graphic error. But for the players, it's a constant reminder of a world on fire.
- Tournament Graphics: The absence of the flag is most jarring during the "walk-on" ceremonies and the trophy presentations.
- Fan Behavior: Most tournaments have banned fans from bringing actual Russian or Belarusian flags into the stands. If you try to wave one at the Australian Open, security will literally escort you out or even have you arrested.
- The Scoreboard: You'll see "A. Sabalenka" followed by a blank space, while her opponent might have a vibrant "USA" or "POL" flag next to their name.
It’s a strange era for the sport. You have one of the most dominant athletes in the history of the modern game, someone who has won back-to-back titles in Melbourne and New York, yet she can’t see her own colors on the giant screen when she wins.
Actionable insights for following the tour
If you're following tennis this year, keep these things in mind so you're not confused by the broadcasts:
- Check the Rankings: Even though there's no flag, Sabalenka’s points are fully counted. She is currently vying for that Year-End No. 1 spot, regardless of her neutral status.
- Watch the TV Graphics: Different networks (ESPN, Eurosport, etc.) handle the "no flag" rule differently. Some use the blue box, some use a white box, and some just widen the name field to hide the gap.
- Player Quotes: If you want the full picture, look for transcripts from the "big" tournaments like Roland Garros and Wimbledon. That’s usually where the political questions come up, though Sabalenka has recently requested to keep the focus on her tennis.
- Follow the Rules at the Venue: If you're attending a match, leave the Belarusian flag at home. Most major tournaments have strictly prohibited them at the gate since 2022 to prevent "disruption" or "political vilification."
The "why" behind the missing flag is a mix of high-level politics, sports diplomacy, and a whole lot of controversy. For now, Aryna Sabalenka continues to let her racquet do the talking, flag or no flag.