It is already well-known how big of an animal lover Aryna Sabalenka is. She is the owner of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ash, whom she adopted earlier in March and has also brought to many of her matches. However, that’s not the case at Wimbledon.

This is because the SW19 has a strict no-pets policy, and no one is allowed to bring their pets across all the courts at the All England Club. However, Sabalenka has now urged the organizers to scrap this rule.

“I don’t agree with that,” she said during a press conference. “I can understand why they made this decision and obviously, if the dog something wrong inside of this historical place, it will probably take a bit of time to replace and they’re probably afraid of damages inside. But I have to say that all of our dogs are very well trained. They’re not going to do anything wrong inside of this beautiful building. So, we have to change that.”

A reason why the World No. 1 wants to bring Ash to her matches is that he doesn’t like being left alone. His presence on the court must act as some kind of motivation for Sabalenka.

“It sometimes hurts to leave him at the house by himself because he really gets attached a lot and he suffers staying alone. So, it really hurts my feelings and it’s just like a little fluffy thing that always wants cuddles and love. Going to the park with him walking around is like some sort of meditation for me. So Wimbledon, please, I beg you. Let the dogs sit inside,” she added.

Coming back, the no-pet policy at Wimbledon extends to the spectators as well and has been in place for many years. The only animals that are permitted to be on the courts are service dogs or official security dogs.

This rule doesn’t sit well with Sabalenka, as she has grown very attached to her pet dog. After getting Ash’s accreditation ahead of her campaign at the Roland Garros, Sabalenka had decided to bring him along. With no restrictions in place for pets at the Grand Slam, he was able to enter the tournament grounds freely.

The dog had its first public appearance at the Indian Wells Masters. It was here that Sabalenka had gotten the opportunity to celebrate a title victory with Ash and brought him to the court after defeating Elena Rybakina in the final, sharing multiple heartwarming moments with him.

Notably, bringing pets courtside isn’t a rare thing for players. Recently, Mirra Andreeva had grabbed attention after she had celebrated her French Open triumph by bringing her pet dog, Rassy, after her first major title win.

Although some players are not of the same opinion as Sabalenka. And this includes Sabalenka’s close friend, Paula Badosa.

Paula Badosa wants the no-pet policy at Wimbledon to stay intact

Unlike Sabalenka, the Spaniard is known to be afraid of dogs and is very relieved that pets aren’t allowed to enter the courts at Wimbledon.

“I often say I love dogs… but from a distance, because they scare me,” she had said during a press conference before Wimbledon. “I had a bad experience when I was a child. When they approach me, I feel like I’m having a heart attack. I know several of my friends have dogs and I feel sorry for them, but, at the same time, I’m glad they are not allowed at Wimbledon.”

Badosa’s fear of dogs stems from a negative incident that she had as a child. Though she hasn’t spoken in detail about the incident, she simply isn’t comfortable being around animals since a young age.

Known for being very resistant to change and for maintaining old traditions, it is highly unlikely that Wimbledon will bring any change to its no-pet policy anytime soon.