Last year, Wimbledon banned Russians and Belarusians from playing at the Slam. The ITF – the governing body for the majors – wouldn’t let Wimbledon do that again this year without serious repercussions. So Wimbledon allowed those players in, but on the condition that the Russian and Belarusian sign a neutrality contract, wherein those players cannot speak about the war in Ukraine or align themselves politically to Vladimir Putin or Aleksandr Lukashenko. It’s not a big deal for the Russian players, who have been very careful about how they speak about the war and Putin. It’s more difficult for the Belarusians though, especially Aryna Sabalenka, who has done photo-ops with Lukashenko and Lukashenko name-checks her in public statements.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian player has made it into the Wimbledon semifinals. Elina Svitolina gave birth to her first child last October, then came back to the tour after what was barely a five-month maternity leave. She picked up her first WTA title as a mom just before the French Open, then she reached French quarterfinals (where she was beaten by Sabalenka), and now she’s one match away from the Wimbledon final. So it’s high time that the British papers make this sensitive situation involving international politics and war all about the Princess of Wales, right?
The Princess of Wales faces the awkward prospect of handing the Wimbledon trophy to a Belarusian – but she could be saved by the last Ukrainian still in the tournament.
Athletes from aggressor nations Russia and its ally Belarus are among the favourites to win as the competition reaches its final stages. Presenting a trophy to one of them would prove a potentially uncomfortable moment for the Palace.
But last night Ukrainian wildcard Elina Svitolina knocked out the world number one Pole Iga Swiatek to set herself on course to wrestle the title off the Belarusian top seed Aryna Sabalenka. Svitolina, who has seen off another Belarusian en route, said the prospect of facing an athlete from that country in the final is a ‘big motivation’.
Sabalenka, who has been photographed hugging Vladimir Putin’s closest ally, Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko, plays American Madison Keys today in her own quarter final. In Paris last month, she said: ‘I don’t support war, which means I don’t support Lukashenko right now.’ If she beats Keys, she faces the victor of last year’s final, Russian-born Kazak Elena Rybakina or Tunisian fan favourite Ons Jabeur.
For fellow Ukrainians the prospect of the Princess of Wales giving the trophy to a Russian or Belarusian in front of the world’s media would be a painful one to bear.
Tasya Leskova, from Dnipro, whose husband is fighting on the front line, said: ‘They should sit at home and think about what their state is doing.’
The All England Club said that the Palace was not involved in the decision to admit Belarusians and Russians this year following their ban in 2022. CEO Sally Bolton said: ‘We talk to the palace about lots of different issues all the time, but it was very much our decision.’
[From The Daily Mail]
The fact that the British papers continue to center Kate in this larger conversation is bonkers to me. It’s bonkers that Kensington Palace doesn’t shut it down too – this is so obviously the place for the palace to step in and say “Kate is apolitical, she will hand the Venus Rosewater Dish to the winner, regardless of nationality.” Last year, Kate handed the dish to a Russian (who plays under a Kazakh flag) and it wasn’t a f–king conversation. So here’s my question – why hasn’t the palace shut this down, and why does Kate want to be part of this conversation? Also: good luck to Svitolina in her semifinal tomorrow! It would be amazing to see this Ukrainian mama break through and make it to the Wimbledon final. Let Elina’s wins be the story, not Kate.
PS… If Kate cared so much, why hasn’t she gone to any of Svitolina’s matches??
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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