Player Protest

In the Australian Open women's semifinal between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina, a 10-year-old ball kid was caught in the middle of geopolitical tensions when the players posed for separate photos. Svitolina, protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, refused a pre-match photo and post-match handshake with the Belarusian Sabalenka. The girl's parents expressed concern over the awkward situation, calling for politics to stay out of children's dreams.