Aryna Sabalenka's country, where she is from and why she does not have a flag next to her name at US Open 2025: Questions answered

Aryna Sabalenka took on Jessica Pegula in the semifinals of the 2025 US Open, two wins away from defending her title at Flushing Meadows. The No. 1 seed, Sabalenka is looking to win her first Grand Slam this year.

Fans watching the match on TV might notice that Sabalenka does not have a flag next to her name, while Pegula proudly flaunts the Star-spangled banner of the USA. This is because she is from Belarus, a country whose athletes have been banned, along with Russia, to display their national flag next to their name.

In 2022, Russia, with the support of Belarus, launched an invasion of Ukraine, which remains a conflict till date. As a result, the country was penalized by global sports bodies, and cannot represent their national interests anymore. That year, tennis players were also banned from Wimbledon, a controversial decision that impacted the sport.

Sabalenka was born in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, in May 1998. However, she continues to reside in the USA for the most part, where she does her training in Miami, Florida. The Belarusian has three Grand Slam titles to her name -- two at the Australian Open and one at the US Open.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches US Open 2025 final

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 US Open - Day 12 - Source: Getty

On Thursday, Aryna Sabalenka took down Jessica Pegula on Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the final of the US Open for the third year in a row. In 2023, she lost the final to Coco Gauff, but Pegula last year to win her maiden title in New York.

Sabalenka defeated Pegula under the lights in a tight three-setter, losing her first set of the tournament. After leading 4-2 in the first, she went on a mini crash-out and surrendered the set 6-4 to the American. However, the World No. 1 showed her fightback in the next two, breaking early in both sets to take them 6-3 and 6-4 respectively.

In the final, the Belarusian will take on either Naomi Osaka or Amanda Anisimova on Saturday. Osaka is a former two-time champion at the US Open, while Anisimova is looking to reach her second straight Slam final after Wimbledon (loss to Iga Swiatek).