Highlights: Sinner, Djokovic and Sabalenka advance to third round
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Wimbledon has many customs and traditions, but one of the biggest stars at the iconic venue this year has asked for one particular rule to be relaxed. World number one Sabalenka, like many other tour professionals, takes her pet dog Ash with her on tour.
Sabalenka, who will play Jelena Ostapenko in the third round, was first photographed with her pup in Indian Wells in March and has since traveled with him around European clay courts and now SW19.
But the All England Club’s policy is to keep dogs out of the stadium grounds, and Sabalenka finds it hard to agree with that.
“I don’t agree with this,” Sabalenko said. “I can understand why they made this decision.
“Obviously, if a dog does something wrong inside this historic site, it will likely take some time to replace it. They are probably afraid of damage inside.
“I must say that all our dogs are very well trained. They won’t do anything wrong in this beautiful building.
“We have to change this. It just hurts sometimes to leave him at home alone. He gets really attached. But he suffers when he is alone. It really hurts my feelings.”
“It’s like a little furry animal that always needs hugs and love.
“Going to the park with him, taking a walk – for me this is also a kind of meditation.
“Wimbledon, please, I beg you, let the dogs inside.”
However, Coco Gauff is one player who has sounded a note of caution.
Gauff doesn’t travel with dogs and, while admitting he “loves” them, says there are some practical realities to take into account, citing an incident that happened last year.
Aryna Sabalenka celebrates the Butch Buchholz Trophy and her dog Ash after winning the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 28, 2026.
Image credit: Getty Images
“I love dogs,” she said. “I definitely think there is a time and place for them. I love them.
“This (Wimbledon) is also different because it’s at a club that I don’t think allows dogs at all. That’s why I respect the rules.
Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine celebrates with her dog after defeating Emma Raducanu at the Madrid Open last year.
Image credit: Getty Images
“But I definitely think there are certain places that dogs shouldn’t be in for safety reasons, like the gym and locker rooms where I sometimes see dogs. Like I said, I love dogs, but I definitely think there is a time and place for it.
“I wouldn’t mind them on the court, but I definitely think so because there have been times where I almost stepped on someone’s dog, almost threw a medicine ball at someone’s dog.
“You don’t want to harm the animal. I definitely think in a gym with 50 million players there are a million different things they do.”
“Last year I didn’t want to call a player, but someone threw a medicine ball at me. If I were a little dog, it would hurt like hell. In the gym – no. In the locker room – no. Maybe there is no food in the areas due to cleanliness.
“Everything else, go ahead, be free, run with your dog. I’m definitely one of those people who, when they’re in the gym, they get a little nervous because there’s a lot of them. There were dangerous situations.”
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