Aryna Sabalenka, a Belarusian tennis player, decided to skip an open news conference after her third-round win at the French Open on Friday. The reason behind her decision was her “mental health and well-being.” Instead of speaking to a large pool of journalists, Sabalenka talked to a small gathering of journalists after her victory over Kamilla Rakhimova. The tennis player stated that she did not feel safe during the news conference she attended on Wednesday, where she was asked questions about her country’s involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sabalenka’s Stance on Political Questions
Sabalenka mentioned that she has been answering questions related to politics for many months now and has been very clear in her feelings and thoughts. However, on Wednesday, she did not feel safe during the press conference. She was asked whether she supported Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and if she would denounce the war in Ukraine, to which she replied, “I’ve got no comments to you.” Sabalenka stated that she should feel safe during interviews with journalists after her matches and that she has decided to take herself out of the situation for her mental health and well-being.
Sabalenka’s Reaction to Hate in the Locker Room
Sabalenka previously addressed the hate she received from other players due to the war and stated that she faced “hate” in the locker room “for no reason.” After her win over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Sabalenka, drawing boos from the crowd at Roland Garros. Sabalenka mentioned that nobody in the world, including Russian and Belarusian athletes, supports the war. She added that normal people would never support the war.
Elina Svitolina’s Refusal to Shake Hands
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents out of respect for soldiers fighting on the front line. Svitolina, who reached the French Open fourth round with a win over Anna Blinkova of Russia, refused to shake hands with her opponent and was booed by some fans. She stated that she is Ukrainian and is doing everything possible to support men and women who are fighting for her country. Svitolina has repeatedly called for Russian and Belarusian tennis players to be banned from international competition over the invasion of her country.
The decision to skip the news conference was made between Sabalenka and Roland Garros organizers, and a French Tennis Federation spokesperson mentioned that Sabalenka would not be fined. The spokesperson added that it was done to protect her and that whether Sabalenka attends other news conferences would be her decision.
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