John Warhurst | Australian Open political posturing cannot be in lieu of government action

This became particularly noticeable because of the strong players from these two countries. Two Belarusian women, including the eventual champion, Aryna Sabalenka, reached the semi-finals, and three Russian men were prominent.

The ban on flags extended to spectators and this led to minor scuffles as pro-Russian supporters were evicted and, indirectly, led to the father of the male champion, the great Novak Djokovic, missing his son's victory match because of his own stupidity in associating himself with pro-Russian demonstrators.

Yet this ban on national flags is just an attempted compromise. Russian and Belarusian players are banned altogether from Wimbledon and the Ukrainian government has called for their total banning from the Olympic Games.

The conflict between sport and politics is far from resolved in this instance and certainly remains unresolved across all sports.

Recent examples, which have touched Australia directly, include the decision by Cricket Australia, supported by the Australian government, to call off the men's cricket tour of Afghanistan because of the appalling treatment of women and girls by the Taliban government.

Earlier furious debate surrounded Australia's participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Qatar Football Men's World Cup.

There are different elements. A related issue is political activism about social issues by individuals and teams. Netball Australia forfeited its sponsorship by Gina Rinehart because of her father's attitude towards Indigenous Australians.

Sport became caught up in the Australia Day dialogue with star women's cricketer, Indigenous player Ashleigh Gardner, making clear how uncomfortable she felt having to play an international match on January 26. The match went ahead with recognition by Cricket Australia of Indigenous history and culture.

Australian men's cricket captain Pat Cummins is an environmental activist. He was lauded by conservative commentators for his cricket leadership but was later told by broadcaster Alan Jones to keep his political views to himself.

The mix of sport and politics is unavoidable if politics is framed in its widest sense of building national identity, social equality and encouraging individual economic and social achievement. Australian of the Year Awards are one indication of this.

The new Young Australian of the Year is Socceroo, Awer Mabil. Last year's Australian of the Year was wheelchair tennis star, Dylan Alcott. They both make us proud as a nation and use the honour to advance their personal social/political causes.

Boycotts and bans by governments and sporting bodies are attempts to send signals to recalcitrant nations and individuals that there is a practical cost to their misbehaviour.

The cost can include their exclusion by bans from international competitions or alternatively boycotts when their own country hosts international sporting events.

Many of us have personal recollections of various entanglements between sport and politics. Russia participated in the Melbourne Olympics despite its invasion of Hungary. The Russian and Hungarian water polo players sorted it out themselves in a bloody match in the pool.

Tours to Australia by rugby and cricket teams from apartheid South African were banned in the 1970s (but only after enormous internal turmoil in Australia) until the apartheid regime fell.

In 1980 the attempted boycott by the Fraser government of the Moscow Olympics following the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union became extremely messy and ended in a semi-boycott by some sports and individual athletes despite the Australian team participating.

Social and political positions have also become embedded in various sports, for instance through women's equality, Indigenous and pride themes. The advancement of women's sport has often been indistinguishable from the drive for equality for women in society generally.

This year's Australian Open honoured the nine pioneering women who began the women's professional tennis tour more than 50 years ago. Equality for women players slowly followed, including equal recognition and equal pay.

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American Billie Jean King was honoured for her special leadership and presented the trophy to the women's champion. King herself is an advocate of same sex rights and a fierce critic of former Australian star Margaret Court, after whom the Margaret Court Arena is named. Sport and politics are inescapably intertwined.

There is no easy guidebook for individuals, teams and nations on properly mixing sport and politics. Innocent individuals in sport suffer from bans and boycotts.

They could be asked to disavow their government's policies, whether it be Russia or Afghanistan. But to ask that is expecting superhuman courage from these athletes because it may cost them and their families their lives and careers.

On the other hand, allowing professional sport to float above real life by disregarding political events no matter how outrageous, like invasions and abominable treatment of minorities by governments, is no solution either.

Distinguishing between individual players and their nations can seem like an insipid compromise and nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

There was no escaping the nationalities of the Russian and Belarusian players in the television commentary, although their flags were banned from the stadiums. Their social identities can't be erased altogether, and their victories will still be celebrated in their home countries.

Sport shouldn't be expected to do all the heavy lifting that governments refuse to do. However, sportspeople should not be allowed to escape their ethical responsibilities nor prevented from acting upon them. There are no easy answers. I certainly don't have one.