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Israeli tennis player defiantly wears yellow ribbon at Australian Open

The gesture follows the event organizers’ ban on wearing a yellow pin calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Lina Glushko
Lina Glushko wears a yellow ribbon in her hair ahead of a match in Auckland, New Zealand, on Jan. 6, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Israeli Tennis Association.

Israeli tennis player Lina Glushko wore a yellow ribbon in her hair to an international match in Australia after organizers forbade her from wearing a pin, which organizers considered a political statement, during the competition, Israel’s Channel 14 reported on Tuesday.

Glushko’s move during a qualifying match for the Australian Open followed protests against her at a previous tournament in New Zealand. Protesters opposed the presence of Glushko, a former IDF soldier, at the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland and briefly interrupted the matches.

In New Zealand, Glushko, ranked 207th in the world, lost a match to four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, ending her participation in the tournament.

Glushko will not compete in the Australian Open main draw after losing her match to Léolia Jeanjean 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.

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“While our ability to provide additional information at this time is limited, we will continue to keep the community informed,” the private D.C. university stated.
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