Home / Sports / Player Uses Watermelon Dampener After Palestine Pin Ban
Player Uses Watermelon Dampener After Palestine Pin Ban
3 Jul
Summary
- A tennis player used a watermelon symbol on her racket after a pin ban.
- Wimbledon stated the watermelon symbol does not meet disruption thresholds.
- Organizers cited unique support for Ukrainian players as a precedent.
Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker has commented on the use of a watermelon symbol on a player's racket, stating it does not meet the threshold for disruption. Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez reportedly used a watermelon-shaped vibration dampener on her racket after being prohibited from wearing a pin supporting Palestine.
Sonmez indicated that Wimbledon organizers disallowed the pin, despite allowing the Ukrainian flag, leading her to use the watermelon symbol, which represents Palestinian solidarity through its colors. Baker confirmed that political messaging is generally banned at Grand Slam tournaments, distinguishing the situation from the unique support provided to Ukrainian players in 2022.
In separate match news, former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini achieved a significant second-round victory over Arthur Fils, marking his first win on Centre Court since 2021. Berrettini overcame previous defeats on the main arena to secure his advancement in the tournament.
