Aryna Sabalenka, the Wimbledon No.1 seed, has publicly pleaded with the All England Club to change its long-standing policy prohibiting players from bringing their dogs to the tournament. The Belarusian star, who has advanced to the third round after straight-sets wins, expressed emotional distress over being separated from her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, named Ash.
Sabalenka's Emotional Plea
Speaking after her second-round victory over McCartney Kessler (6-1, 7-6), Sabalenka said the rule "hurts my feelings" and described leaving Ash alone at home as painful. "It just sometimes hurts to leave him at the house by himself. He really gets attached a lot. But he suffers staying alone," she explained. "It's just like a little fluffy thing that always wants cuddle and love. Going to the park with him, walking around, is also like some sort of meditation for me. Wimbledon, please, I beg you, let the dogs inside."
Comparison with French Open
Sabalenka noted that the French Open at Roland Garros provides a dog concierge service for players' pets, contrasting with Wimbledon's strict no-dog environment. The All England Club only permits service dogs and security/search dogs on site. Sabalenka acknowledged the club's concerns about potential damage to the historic venue but argued that players' dogs are well-trained. "I don't agree with that," she said with a smile. "Obviously if the dog does something wrong inside of this historical place, probably going to take a bit of time to replace. They're probably afraid of damages inside. I have to say all of our dogs are very well-trained. They're not going to do anything wrong inside of this beautiful building. We have to change that."
All England Club's Stance
All England Club CEO Sally Bolton clarified the policy in a pre-tournament press conference, stating: "The only dogs that we permit on site are service dogs, and those security and search dogs. We're in constant communication with the players, and we don't anticipate that being a problem, but that's our policy and always has been our policy."
Ash's Role in Sabalenka's Success
Sabalenka credited Ash with improving her mental health and on-court composure. During her Indian Wells victory earlier this year, she brought Ash to a post-match interview after defeating Naomi Osaka. "I feel like I'm much more settled, calm, more in control," she said. "Whenever I feel like going crazy on my team, I just pet Ash and I feel better."
Next Match
Sabalenka's third-round opponent will be Jelena Ostapenko, who beat Antonia Ruzic. Ruzic was originally scheduled to face Emma Raducanu in the first round before the Briton withdrew. Sabalenka expressed relief after her win over Kessler: "Yeah, super happy to get this win. I'm extremely happy I was able to close it in straight sets. That was a very tough battle and I'm super happy I was able to handle it."
