Wimbledon star’s drastic action after being forced to change outfit | Tennis | Sport

Wimbledon star Zeynep Sonmez claims that she was banned from wearing a Palestine brooch during her match. The All England Club notoriously has an all-white dress code that is deemed very strict, falling foul could see players punished with a fine of up to £15,700 per violation, and Sonmez’s request to wear alternative colours was not granted.

The Turkish player, who was eliminated in the second round by Claire Liu in straight sets, has hit out at the decision because Wimbledon made a special exemption for the Ukrainian flag in 2022, following the war with Russia. Rules were relaxed in that situation, but Sonmez did not get the same treatment.

Sonmez said she instead decided to take a watermelon-shaped vibration dampener, a small accessory placed on racket strings to reduce vibration, onto court with her, because officials could not object to it.

“I used to wear a pin. Tournaments no longer allow me to wear it, Sonmez told Turkish outlet AA. “We had a discussion with the organisers because the Ukrainian flag is allowed but the Palestinian is not.

“They ultimately told us they definitely would not allow it. So, I can’t wear the pin. I can use the vibration dampener, and they can’t object to that. That’s why I put the watermelon symbol on my racket.”

The watermelon is linked to Palestine because it is grown there and bears the same colours as the Palestinian flag: red, green, white and black. It is considered a symbol of opposition against Israeli oppression and occupation.

Sonmez did not clarify whether the All England Club prohibited Sonmez from wearing the pin or if a WTA Tour or ITF rule was the reason behind the ban.

Express Sport has reached out to the All England Club for comment.

Sonmez took to the court with her watermelon-shaped vibration dampener for the singles match, which ended in defeat, but she also brought handwritten notes to read between games.

“Because I can feel stressed or nervous during a match, I write down the things I need to pay attention to before the match so I can read them at those moments,” Sonmez explained. “I usually write notes about my opponent or reminders to stay calm mentally and keep my mind clear.

“I didn’t play very well. I couldn’t play according to the game plan I wanted. It wasn’t a day when I played good tennis or felt the ball well.”