Aryna Sabalenka’s Country Flag at Wimbledon Is Confusing Fans Amid Purple Badge

Aryna Sabalenka’s Country Flag at Wimbledon Is Confusing Fans Amid Purple Badge originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Aryna Sabalenka is one of the biggest stars in tennis, but fans watching Wimbledon are confused about what country the athlete is from amid her impressive run. During the Wimbledon broadcast, there is not a traditional flag next to Sabalenka’s name. 

Instead, a solid purple icon appears next to Sabalenka for the live scoring. The tennis star is from Minsk, the capital city of Belarus and the absence of her flag is a bit complicated. 

Unlike tennis players from the United States and other countries, Sabalenka is not permitted to display her flag. The International Tennis Federation ruled that Belarus and Russian athletes are not permitted to display their country’s flag or symbol during tournaments. 

This is a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ support of the events. 

Instead of their national flag, athletes from these countries are being shown with a solid purple badge next to their name. Sabalenka has been brutally honest about her frustration with this ruling. 

🤔 Should sports be involved in politics?

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka told DW she’s not thrilled about having to still compete under a neutral flag 👀 pic.twitter.com/bTDfsLhAO8

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) June 21, 2025

“Sports shouldn’t be involved in politics,” Sabalenka told Deutsche Welle’s Jonathan Crane, per Pro Football Sports Network. “I was always proud to represent a small country like Belarus. Everyone knows where I was born. So at the end of the day, there is no difference.”

A young Aryna Sabalenka pictured with her parents. It’s crazy how she looks like a perfect mix of her mom and dad now. pic.twitter.com/CAlcxoYgYS

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 25, 2023

The absence of a flag for Sabalenka has sparked debate given that athletes do not typically have anything to do with political decisions like war. 

Related: Aryna Sabalenka Finds Love With Boyfriend Georgios Frangulis Following Tragedy

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.