Play was briefly halted at the ASB Classic tennis tournament, New Zealand’s premier tennis tournament, on Monday as protests erupted over the participation of Israeli player Lina Glushko, the NZ Herald reported.
Glushko, who advanced through the qualifying rounds to face former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka from Japan in a highly anticipated first-round match on center court, became the focal point of demonstrators objecting to her presence in the tournament.
Chants from protesters stationed across the road echoed through the arena during the opening set, prompting Glushko to approach the chair umpire. A brief consultation followed with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) supervisor, after which play resumed.
DISGUSTING: A tennis match between Israeli player Lina Glushko and Naomi Osaka in New Zealand was nonstop disrupted by Hamas supporters outside the stadium.
The authorities refused to remove them or make them quiet during the match.
pic.twitter.com/tremeZ6uQo— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 30, 2024
While the disruption to Glushko’s match was short-lived, a subsequent match on an adjacent stadium court faced a significantly longer delay. Another group of protesters gathered in a nearby park, generated sustained noise that made play untenable for an extended period.
The ASB Classic organizers have yet to issue an official statement regarding the protests or any measures being considered to prevent further disruptions as the tournament continues.
Lina Glushko, 25 (she was born on January 12, 2000), has career-high WTA rankings of No. 201 in singles and No. 296 in doubles. She also represents Israel in the Billie Jean King Cup, where she has a winning record of 17–15 as of June 2024.
Glushko’s USSR-born parents, Sergio and Olga, along with her sister Julia and brother Alex, made Aliyah to Modiin, Israel from Ukraine in 1999, one year before Lina was born.
Lina served in the IDF.
Her older sister Julia Glushko is also a professional tennis player, ranked as high as No. 79 in the world. Lina and Julia have partnered in doubles competitions. They were initially coached by their father and later by their brother.
Pro-Hamas protesters interviewed by the NZ Herald expressed that their primary concern was not merely Julia Glushko’s participation as a tennis player, but her background as a former soldier in the IDF and her continued status as an army reservist. They also objected to her vocal support for the IDF on social media since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023.
A tournament official stressed that Glushko is entitled to compete with no restrictions under WTA regulations, which means she can play while Israel’s national flag is raised, unlike players from Russia and Belarus.
