Aryna Sabalenka begs Wimbledon to allow players to bring dogs on site – after the French Open provided a ‘dog concierge’ to look after pets
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has pleaded with Wimbledon for the storied tournament to allow players’ dogs onto the court after a blanket ban was imposed ahead of the Championship.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton has insisted only ‘service dogs and security and search dogs’ will be allowed at SW19, just weeks after the French Open backed down to ensure star pets are catered for in Paris.
But Sabalenka, who recently welcomed a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ash into her entourage, was determined to include dogs in the tournament and underlined the importance of her puppy for her mental health.
Asked by Daily Mail Sport about Wimbledon’s policy after her emphatic defeat of McCartney Kessler, Sabalenka said with a firm smile: ‘I don’t agree with that!’
He added with relief: ‘Well I can understand why they made this decision. Frankly, if the dog does something wrong inside this historic site, it will probably take some time to replace it. They’re probably afraid of harm inside.
‘I must say that our dogs are all very well trained. They won’t do anything wrong inside this beautiful building. “We have to change this,” he continued.
Aryna Sabalenka has called for dogs to be allowed at Wimbledon to accompany her players to boost morale at the Championships
The world No 1 has seen Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Ash travel to tournaments including the Madrid Open (pictured) and Roland-Garros
‘Sometimes it hurts to leave him alone at home. It really connects. But he suffers from being alone. It really hurts my feelings. Just like the little furry thing that always needs cuddles and love. Going to the park and walking around with him is also like meditation for me.
‘Wimbledon, please, I’m begging you, let the dogs in.’
The All England Club has been contacted for comment.
The pup has accompanied Sabalenka on tour since adopting Ash in the spring and even appeared at the US Open champion’s first trophy celebration at Indian Wells this year.
While running to win that trophy in California, Sabalenka highlighted the positive boost the puppy provided in managing stress levels.
“I feel like I’m a lot calmer, calmer and more in control,” Sabalenka said in an interview with Tennis Channel. ‘Whenever I want to go crazy on my team, I pet Ash and I feel better.’
This season, the four-time Grand Slam winner also brought Ash to tournaments such as the Miami Open and Madrid Open.
Sabalenka is the latest star to travel with a dog on the tour, with French Open champion Alexander Zverev, Anna Kalinskaya, Marta Kostyuk and Eastbourne winner Zizou Bergs among their well-known pets.
The number of player pets at tournaments has increased so much that Roland-Garros has hired a ‘canine consultant’ to ensure the animals’ welfare as temperatures soar in Paris this year.
The tournament also hired two dog walkers to walk pets in the 16th district.
Anna Kalinskaya, who ranks 20th in the world rankings, is one of the stars who travels with her long-haired dog Bella.
Sabalenka made the comments on Wednesday after narrowly avoiding taking her clash with Kessler to three sets.
After a muted 6-1 opening display, the Belarusian star broke into a sweat in the second set as the world number 57 roared and was forced into a tiebreak when an increasingly frustrated Sabalenka tried and failed to crush her burgeoning competitiveness with hard strikes.
Kessler, who won last year’s Nottingham Open on grass, had two match points and set points twice, but Sabalenka’s record for the highest Grand Slam tiebreak – now at 21 consecutive wins – settled the set at 7-6(9).
Sabalenka believed she had survived the ‘big fight’, awarding her performance on focus and fight as ‘nine out of 10’, but was angered by the suggestion that she was scared of the third set following final defeats to Diana Shnaider at the French Open two weeks ago and Jessica Pegula in Berlin.
‘I didn’t really think about it. ‘What’s wrong with my three-set statistics?’ Sabalenka hit back at a journalist who questioned her recent form.
‘I won Berlin in three sets in the second round. I really wasn’t worried at all. I’m not trying to stay in the past or the future. I try to stay present.
‘Anyway, I’m happy I could close it out in two sets.’
