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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Georgia Bates

Wimbledon tennis star uses watermelon shock absorber after Palestine flag banned

Zeynep Sonmez Palestine Wimbledon Jamie Baker Matteo Berrettini Arthur Fils Ukraine
Zeynep Sonmez, who uses a watermelon-shaped vibration dampener on her racket, of Turkiye - (Anadolu/Getty)

Wimbledon’s tournament director has said the watermelon symbol often used to represent the colours of the Palestinian flag does not meet the “threshold” for causing disruption, after a Turkish player stuck a vibration dampener in the shape of the fruit on her racket.

World number 51 Zeynep Sonmez used a watermelon shock absorber on Thursday after organisers allegedly banned her from wearing a pin in support of Palestine, it was reported.

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