Fans waving Russian flags detained at Australian Open

Displaying the country’s tricolor has been banned at the Grand Slam tennis event

Four people were detained and questioned by authorities after a Russian flag bearing the image of President Vladimir Putin was displayed at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament following a match between Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Russia’s Andrey Rublev.

A group of people congregated outside the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne after Djokovic’s comprehensive three-set win, with chants of “Serbia, Russia” heard from the group, while a man wearing a ‘Z’ symbol on his T-shirt was also seen to be displaying the Russian flag.

Another man was spotted wearing a ‘Z’ shirt inside the arena during the match.

It comes after the organizers of the event, Tennis Australia, introduced a ban on the display of Russian and Belarusian flags shortly after the beginning of the tournament, when a fan displayed the Russian tricolor during a match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russian player Kamilla Rakhimova.

Russian and Belarusian players are free to compete at the tournament but without mention of their nationalities or other national symbols.

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