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Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati: Size of Ukraine flag reason why fan was asked to remove it from grounds

Fan asked to remove Ukraine flag because it was too big says tournament officials at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati; flags or banners larger than 18 x 18 are prohibited, according to the tournament's website

Tuesday 16 August 2022 12:04, UK

The flag of Ukraine waves in the wind during the Infosys Hall of Fame Open on July 15, 2022, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
Image: Flags or banners larger than 18 x 18 are prohibited, according to the tournament's website at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati

The size of the Ukraine flag that a fan had draped around her during a match at the Cincinnati was the reason she was asked to remove it from the grounds, tournament officials have said.

During a qualifying match between Russian players Anna Kalinskaya and Anastasia Potapova on Sunday, one of the players reportedly complained to the WTA chair umpire Morgane Lara about the fan, according to reports.

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Video of the incident posted online showed Lara come down from her chair to speak to the fan, who ultimately left the court.

She reportedly was approached on the grounds by the tournament's head of security, who told her the flag was above regulation size.

"Per the Western & Southern Open's bag policy, as stated on the tournament's website, flags or banners larger than 18 x 18 are prohibited," a spokesperson for the tournament said in an email.

"Therefore, the patron was asked to remove the flag from the grounds and after doing so was allowed to remain at the tournament.

"Any inquiries about the chair umpire should be directed to the WTA Tour."

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The WTA Tour did not respond to a request for comment.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, calling it a "special military operation" aimed at pre-emptively safeguarding its security against NATO expansion. Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of waging an unprovoked imperial-style war of aggression.

In response, Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarussian tennis players from the grass-court major this year.

The audience holds a huge Ukrainian flag during 'Iga Swiatek & Friends for Ukraine' charity event in Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland on July 23, 2022. The total income from ticket sales, 2 million PLN (EUR 422,000), will be donated to the children affected by the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto)
Image: Spectators unfurl a huge Ukrainian flag during 'Iga Swiatek & Friends for Ukraine' charity event in Krakow last month

The US Open, which starts on August 29, will allow players from those countries to compete and will host a tournament-long campaign to raise awareness and humanitarian aid for Ukraine with a goal of raising $2m in relief, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said last week.

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