Speaking to Anadolu after her second-round exit at Wimbledon, Sonmez said tournament officials did not allow her to continue wearing the pin despite discussions on the issue.
"I used to wear a pin. Tournaments no longer allow me to wear it. We had a discussion with the organizers because the Ukrainian flag is allowed but the Palestinian is not," Sonmez said.
"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," she said.
Source: Anadolu
A vibration dampener (or racket dampener) is a small piece of silicon or rubber placed on the strings toward the bottom of the racket face that serves as a shock absorber. Zeynep's is a watermelon wedge with a cute cartoon face. They can't say or do shit about that.
(Unfortunately, Zeynep's Wimbledon run is over in both singles and doubles, but remember the name and keep an eye out for her in future tournaments. 🙂 Also of note is that she's a young player currently ranked 51st in the WTA. She doesn't exactly have a lot of pull in the game, and she has a lot to lose. Tennis watchers speculate that her support of Palestine contributed to the end of her partnership with Turkish Airlines earlier this year. ETA: Zeynep has been openly and outwardly supportive of Palestince since, at least, 2024).
Posted by ace-destrier
17 Comments
This is pretty cool.
>We had a discussion with the organizers because the Ukrainian flag is allowed but the Palestinian is not
Of course.
(ETA: I know this is probably because there are Ukrainian players in the draw, don’t come at me)
Fuck Wimbledon man
Amazing! It’s crazy to me that history repeats itself so obviously, and every time we *still* have people making the same mistakes. 🖕🏽 Wimbeldon.
90 per cent of the Gaza strip destroyed, tens if not hundreds of thousands dead, UN says it’s a genocide, but they’re policing you’re every move if you even deign to post any public solidarity with the Palestinian people.
It’s women like this that give me confidence and i really appreciate her strength.
Resepct to Zeynep Somnez
My worry is “tour” is referring to the WTA and not just Wimbledon. Absurd she can’t wear a Palestinian pin.
Her surname means “inextinguishable” or “will never go out”, quite fitting.
Amazing of her
What a Turkish delight!
No article gives a link to the product. This is great advertisement.
British being Trumps fucking poodle again! What a pathetic world of cowards we live it.
The smallest gestures matter especially when so much of the media and governments want us to shut up and keep letting the genocide continue
Suddenly I care about tennis.