1 year ago
45
Sabalenka won her archetypal Grand Slam astatine the Australian Open earlier this yearBelarusian satellite fig 2 Aryna Sabalenka says she has faced "hate" successful the locker country implicit her country's relation successful Russia's penetration of Ukraine.
The Australian Open champion besides said she has had "weird conversations" with members of player's teams.
Belarus is an state of Russia and allowed troops to usage its territory to motorboat the penetration past year.
"It was truly pugnacious to recognize that there's truthful galore radical who hatred maine for nary reason," said Sabalenka, 24.
"I did nothing."
Players from some countries person been classified arsenic neutral athletes since the commencement of the struggle and were banned from past year's Wimbledon.
Sabalenka, who mislaid successful the last of Indian Wells to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina connected Sunday, was speaking earlier the commencement of the Miami Open.
"It was truly pugnacious for maine due to the fact that I've ne'er faced that overmuch hatred successful the locker room," she said. "There are a batch of haters connected Instagram erstwhile you're losing matches, but successful the locker country I've ne'er faced that.
- Medvedev feels 'sorry' for Ukrainian players connected tour
- WTA main Steve Simon says organisation is supporting Ukrainian players
"I had some, not similar fights, but I had immoderate weird conversations with, not the girls, but with members of their team. It was tough. It was [a] pugnacious period. But, present it's getting better."
Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from a lucifer against Sabalenka - the 2023 Australian Open champion - astatine Indian Wells past week.
Tsurenko said she had suffered a panic onslaught aft a chat with Women's Tennis Association (WTA) main enforcement Steve Simon astir the sport's effect to Russia's invasion.
The WTA besides issued a ceremonial warning to Russia's Anastasia Potapova astatine Indian Wells for wearing a Spartak Moscow shot garment earlier her lucifer against American Jessica Pegula.
World fig 1 Iga Swiatek has said determination should beryllium a greater absorption connected helping Ukrainian players arsenic the struggle enters a 2nd year.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, said she does "not stock the aforesaid opinion" arsenic Swiatek.
She added: "I'd promote her to look astatine the things that person been done earlier she makes comments. As a subordinate assembly subordinate I'm blessed to supply the facts. That would beryllium a much due mode to person that conversation."
English (US)