​World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has urged the All England Club to allow players to bring their dogs onto Wimbledon grounds again. Currently, Wimbledon only allows service dogs and search dogs on the premises, despite many players now traveling with pets. Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton had reiterated before the tournament that players were informed of the rules at the start of the year and that any dogs accompanying players from Europe would need to stay home during the event. Sabalenka, who celebrated her Miami Open victory with her puppy Ash, joins others such as French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, who celebrated on court with coach Conchita Martinez’s puppy Luna after clinching Roland Garros. At the French Open, several players—Marta Kostyuk, Anastasia Potapova, and Anna Kalinskaya among them—brought dogs into player areas, where the policy is more permissive, and the event even employed dedicated dog walkers and sitters to assist players between matches.
Sabalenka described Ash as a source of “meditation” and emotional support, noting that many players rely on their pets during long, stressful tournaments. Bolton had stated before Wimbledon that she did not expect the pet policy to cause issues, but Sabalenka hopes the rule could be reconsidered in the future and vowed Ash would not cause any disruption. “I understand why they made this decision—if a dog misbehaves in this historic place, it could be a problem to replace,” Sabalenka said. “But our dogs are very well-trained, and we have to change that. It hurts to leave him at home; he gets attached and misses companionship. He’s a little fluffy thing that loves cuddles and walks, which are meditative for me. Wimbledon, please, I beg you, let the dogs inside.” Bolton had previously confirmed that, at Wimbledon, only service dogs and security/search dogs are permitted, and that the club did not anticipate problems with this policy while continuing to communicate with players.