Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™ LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Russian and Belarussian flags banned at Open

A Russian flag is displayed by spectators at the Australian Tennis Open

A Russian flag is displayed by spectators at the Australian Tennis Open Source: AAP / LUKAS COCH

SBS News In Depth
View Podcast Series

Follow and Subscribe

Apple Podcasts Spotify Listnr Download (3.11MB)
Download the SBS Audio appAvailable on iOS and Android

Tennis Australia has banned Russian and Belarussian flags from entering Melbourne Park during the Australian Open in response to spectators displaying the flag courtside during a match featuring a Ukrainian player yesterday. Ukrainian groups have welcomed the move by tournament organisers but say the ban needs to go further.

Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts

Share

Latest podcast episodes

Tom and Charmaine Handyside
Travis Lovett and others during the Walk for Truth (image supplied).jpg
Campaign posters for candidates David Farley and Michelle Milthorpe
Girls sing as they show the movement of missiles with their hands next to a mural of revolutionary leaders.

Recommended for you

People with shopping baskets
Five Australian soldiers in khaki ceremonial dress marching
A stylised graphic showing Donald Trump on one side with the Republican Party logo, a blue silhouette on the other with a Democratic Party logo, and the US Capitol in the backdrop.
A sign out the front of property that reads “For Lease“.
Under a twilight sky featuring a thin crescent moon, four massive, angular telescope enclosures of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) stand atop the rocky plateau of Cerro Paranal in Chile's Atacama Desert.
A group of protesters, some holding a Palestinian flag and a “QLD Greens“ banner, face off against a large line of police officers under the shade of a large tree.
A colourful assortment of fruits and vegetables.
People walking along a wide city mall with shops on either side

Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world