Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka. Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP
Tennis star makes shock statement: I’ve never felt so much hate!
Belarus women’s star Aryna Sabalenka has opened up about the tension experienced with Ukrainian players off the court.
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka. Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP
Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open, was speaking at a media day this week and admitted there were serious “tensions” in the locker room between Ukrainian and Russian and Belarus tennis players.
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This of course comes after Belarus supported Vladimir Putin and Russia in the invasion of Ukraine last year, with the conflict having led to a massive global outcry.
“It was really tough for me because I’ve never faced that much hate in the locker room,” Sabalenka said at a press conference to preview the Miami Open.
“There are a lot of haters on Instagram when you’re losing matches, but in the locker room I’ve never faced that. It was really tough to understand that there’s so many people who hate me for no reason. I did nothing. It was really tough but now it’s getting better.
“I had some, not like fights, but I had some weird conversations with, not the girls, but with members of their team. It was tough. It was [a] tough period. But, now it’s getting better.”
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Sabalenka is one of the leading women’s tennis players
The 24-year-old things were gradually getting better after initial struggles between the players.
“I was really struggling with that because I really felt bad, like I did something and it’s still not so good in the locker room with some of the Ukrainian girls. But then I realised that it’s not my fault and I did nothing bad to them. And I’m pretty sure that the rest of the Russian and Belarusian athletes did nothing to Ukrainians,” she said.
“I just realised that this is all emotions and I just need to like ignore it and focus on myself with understanding that I did nothing bad. And I cannot control emotions of others,” she said.
“It seems like, everyone’s just ignoring each other. Not everyone actually, I’m still talking to some of the Ukrainians, but there are some of the girls who are like really aggressive against us. So I’m just staying away from that,” added Sabalenka.
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Belarus’ world number two won the Australian Open in fine fashion earlier this year
