New Delhi, June 7 -- Aryna Sabalenka, one of the top names in women's tennis, drew attention at this year's French Open not just for her powerful performance, but also for what was missing beside her name - the Belarusian flag.

During her final match against American Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, Sabalenka took the opening set 7-6 after a tense battle that lasted over an hour. But eagle-eyed viewers noticed that instead of the red-and-green Belarusian flag, a plain blue rectangle appeared next to her name on the scoreboard.

This is not a one-off incident. It's part of a policy now in its third year. Since 2022, players from Russia and Belarus have been barred from competing under their national flags at all Grand Slam events. The rule ca...