In tennis, geopolitical tensions increasingly spill onto the court, shaping post-match drama and player behavior. Ukrainian stars like Marta Kostyuk and Oleksandra Oliynykova often refuse to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents, regardless of match results. Now, the stakes rise further as off-court politics erupted at the tournament, with an Iranian player, Hana Shabanpour, refusing to face an Israeli rival in the final, turning sport into a stage for global conflicts.
On Saturday, Iranian tennis player Hana Shabanpour withdrew from Sunday’s J60 Turkey World Tour final, refusing to face an opponent representing Israel. Shabanpour, a member of Iran’s national team, had advanced to the final alongside her Turkish partner.
However, she pulled out after it was confirmed that the opposing team included Israel’s Margarita Aktuganova and Russia’s Eva Sultanova.
Reports indicate Shabanpour withdrew in protest of Israeli actions against Palestinians. Another Iranian report claimed she acted in solidarity with the children of a Minab school in Iran, who died following the US-Israeli attacks.
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The 16-year-old had also reached the singles quarterfinals but lost a tight match against the tournament’s top seed.
Shabanpour’s decision is the latest example of athletes protesting against Israel. Jordan’s Under-19 national basketball team withdrew from the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2025 for the same reason.
Meanwhile, Indonesia barred Israeli athletes from the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and Norway donated all proceeds from its World Cup qualifier against Israel to Gaza humanitarian aid. Spain’s prime minister also publicly backed excluding Israel from international sports.
Shabanpour is next scheduled to compete at the J30 Nairobi ITF Tournament, starting May 11, 2026. It remains unclear if she will withdraw if she faces the same opponents again.
While tensions rise on the court between players, off the court, the situation remains tense in other areas as well. Belarusian and Russian players continue to navigate political strain, showing that tennis is increasingly affected by geopolitical conflicts.
ITF allows Belarusian and Russian players to compete as neutrals despite the IOC’s verdict
Since the conflict began between Ukraine and Russia, where Belarus has actively backed Russia, tennis players from both countries have been required to play without their national flags or names displayed.
Belarusian and Russian players have also been banned from the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and other ITF team competitions. In addition, tennis events in both countries were canceled.
On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a political shift. The IOC said athletes from Belarus should once again be allowed to compete under their full national identity and not be restricted to neutral status, even as the war in Ukraine continues.
However, on Friday, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) made clear it would not change its existing policy regarding Belarus and Russia.
“The International Tennis Federation confirms that the IOC’s announcement does not change its existing position regarding the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations’ suspensions, which remain in place,” the ITF said.
The federation added that Belarus’s membership status would be reviewed at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the ITF’s voting member nations. This means that, despite the IOC’s position, Belarusian and Russian tennis players will continue competing under restrictions for the foreseeable future.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between sports governance and geopolitics, showing that tennis remains heavily influenced by global conflicts.
As the conflict and political pressure continue, it remains to be seen when these restrictions might end, and whether the relationship between tennis, its players, and their nations can be fully restored.
