Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka speaks of ‘hate’ in locker room over Russian invasion of Ukraine

Belarusian world quantity two Aryna Sabalenka mentioned she confronted “hate” within the locker room over her nation’s function in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The BBC quoted the Australian Open champion saying she additionally had “weird conversations” with members of gamers’ groups.

Belarus, an ally of Russia, allowed troops to make use of its territory to launch the invasion final 12 months.

“It was really tough to understand that there’s so many people who hate me for no reason,” Sabalenka, 24 was quoted as saying by BBC Sports.

“I did nothing,” she added.

Players from each nations are labeled as impartial athletes for the reason that begin of the battle and had been banned from final 12 months’s Wimbledon.

Sabalenka, who misplaced within the closing of Indian Wells to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina on Sunday, was talking earlier than the beginning of the Miami Open.

“It was really tough for me because I’ve never faced that much hate in the locker room,” she was quoted by BBC. “There are a lot of haters on Instagram when you’re losing matches, but in the locker room I’ve never faced that. ”

“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.”

Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from a match in opposition to Sabalenka – the 2023 Australian Open champion – at Indian Wells final week.

Tsurenko mentioned she had suffered a panic assault after a chat with Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) chief government Steve Simon concerning the sport’s response to Russia’s invasion.

The WTA additionally issued a proper warning to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova at Indian Wells for carrying a Spartak Moscow soccer shirt earlier than her match in opposition to American Jessica Pegula.

While world primary Iga Swiatek has mentioned there needs to be a better deal with serving to Ukrainian gamers because the battle enters a second 12 months, two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, mentioned she does “not share the same opinion” as Swiatek.

BBC quoted her as saying: “I’d encourage her to look at the things that have been done before she makes comments. As a player council member I’m happy to provide the facts. That would be a more appropriate way to have that conversation.”