Wimbledon 2026: Zeynep Sonmez sports watermelon shock absorber for Palestine

Wimbledon 2026: Zeynep Sonmez sports watermelon shock absorber for Palestine Submitted by Judy Qeis on Fri, 07/03/2026 - 12:37 Turkish No 1 says tournament organisers barred her from wearing Palestinian pin despite Ukrainian flag being allowed Zeynep Sonmez with a watermelon vibration dampener on her racket at Wimbledon this week (Patrick Hamilton/Sipa USA via Reuters) Off Tennis player Zeynep Sonmez has said she was told by Wimbledon organisers that wearing a Palestine pin was prohibited, leading her to display solidarity with Palestinians through her racket. The Turkish No 1 told Anadolu Agency on Thursday that she "used to wear a pin", but that "tournaments no longer allow me to wear it". She added that her team had a "discussion with the organisers because the Ukrainian flag is allowed but the Palestinian is not".