Alright, let’s talk about this Sabalenka girl, the one they sayin’ ain’t got no flag. I heard folks chatterin’, seen her on that TV box, swingin’ her racket like she’s beatin’ eggs for a big ol’ family breakfast. Heard she’s from some place called Belarus, but they ain’t lettin’ her show her flag.
Now, I ain’t one for fancy politics or them big words them city folks use, but from what I gather, it’s got somethin’ to do with a war, a big fight over yonder. They say Russia started it, and Belarus, well, they’re kinda mixed up in it too. So, these big tennis bosses, they said, “No flag for you, Sabalenka!”
Can you believe it? A girl works hard, sweats buckets, and they take away her flag! It’s like takin’ away a farmer’s best cow, just ain’t right. She’s still hittin’ that ball though, winnin’ matches left and right. They say she’s number two in the whole world, that’s a mighty big deal, even for someone who don’t know nothin’ ’bout tennis like me.
- No Flag, No Problem (for her game): They took her flag, but they sure didn’t take her swing! That girl, Sabalenka, she’s still out there beatin’ everyone. Heard she won against some other girl, Rybakina was her name, I think. First set, she lost, but then she got mad, like a hen protectin’ her chicks, and won the next two. Tough as nails, that one.
- Why no Belarus Flag? Well, like I said, it’s ’cause of that war. Them tennis bigwigs, they call themselves the ITA or somethin’, they don’t want no Russian or Belarusian flags flyin’ around. Says they suspended them, whatever that means. Sabalenka, she says she don’t support no war, but rules are rules, I guess, even when they don’t make much sense to an old woman like me.
- Tough Girl, Big Heart: Heard some folks were givin’ her a hard time, hatin’ on her just ’cause of where she’s from. That ain’t right. She’s just a girl tryin’ to play tennis. She got a tattoo of a tiger on her arm, fierce, just like her on the court. And rich too, they say she got millions! Good for her, I say. Work hard, play hard, that’s what my pappy always told me.
They let other flags fly, but not hers. It’s kinda like that time old man Johnson couldn’t bring his prize-winning pumpkin to the county fair because it was a bit too big. Rules is rules, they say, but sometimes them rules just feel plain silly.
Sabalenka’s Still Swinging: They can take away her flag, but they can’t take away her talent. She’s still out there, whacking that ball, winning games, and making a name for herself. Twenty-three titles they say she’s got, that’s more ribbons than I ever won at the pie-baking contest.
Now, they got all sorts of fancy words for things in tennis, like “not up” or somethin’. Means the ball bounced twice, I think. See, even I’m learnin’ somethin’ new from watchin’ that girl play! She’s a fighter, that Sabalenka. Reminds me of that ol’ rooster we had, always peckin’ away, never givin’ up.
So, flag or no flag, that girl’s a winner. She’s showin’ the world that where you come from don’t matter, it’s what you do that counts. And what she’s doin’ is playin’ some darn good tennis. Makes this old lady proud, even if I don’t understand all the fuss about flags and wars and such. She’s a good egg, that Sabalenka, a real good egg. And that’s all that matters to me.
