Why the Russian anthem was not played after Mirra Andreeva’s Roland-Garros victory

Mirra Andreeva won the 2026 Roland-Garros title on Saturday, June 6, 2026, but the victory ceremony did not include the Russian national anthem because of the ongoing suspension of Russia by the International Tennis Federation. The decision reflects the wider restrictions placed on Russian and Belarusian athletes since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Andreeva, the Russian champion, lifted the Suzanne-Lenglen trophy after defeating Poland’s Maja Chwalinska in the final. However, unlike winners from countries not under suspension, she did not hear her anthem played on Court Philippe-Chatrier. No music accompanied the ceremony at the French Open, underscoring the continued consequences of international sanctions in tennis.

The International Tennis Federation confirmed in a May 8 statement that it was maintaining its suspension of Russia and Belarus, even as some other international sports federations have begun allowing athletes from those countries to return to competition. The article notes that this contrast is visible across sports, with some organizations easing restrictions while tennis has kept a firm line.

Since early 2022, Russian and Belarusian players have been allowed to compete on the tennis tour only under neutral status. That means they cannot use national flags, national anthems, or country identifiers alongside their names. This neutral designation has remained in place throughout major tournaments, including Grand Slams.

The article places Andreeva’s win in a broader historical context. In 2022, Wimbledon went further by banning Russian and Belarusian players altogether, before reversing that policy the following year. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, by contrast, Russian and Belarusian competitors participating as Individual Neutral Athletes were permitted to celebrate under the Olympic anthem.

At Roland-Garros in Paris on Saturday, however, there was no anthem and no celebratory music for Andreeva’s victory. The moment highlighted the ongoing tension between sporting achievement and geopolitical punishment, as athletes continue to compete under restrictions tied to decisions made after the war in Ukraine began.

Andreeva’s triumph adds a major title to her career, but the ceremony itself was shaped as much by international politics as by sport. The image of the Russian player holding the trophy without hearing her national anthem captured the continued divide between athletic success and the limits imposed on Russian and Belarusian participation in global tennis.

The French Open result also serves as a reminder that, more than four years after the invasion of Ukraine, sanctions and suspensions in sport remain uneven across federations. Tennis, unlike some other sports, has chosen to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes in a neutral category rather than restore full national representation.