Aryna Sabalenka has always respected the Ukrainian players’ stance of not shaking hands with Belarusian and Russian players, but admitted it has been tough to deal with the amount of hate she faced during the tour.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has escalated with each passing year. Following the unprovoked attack, Ukrainian players adopted the stance to refrain from shaking hands and other customary gestures.
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Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk and others have been vocal about their stance against Russia and Belarusian players on and off the court. Since Sabalenka hails from Belarus, a country which has actively supported Russia in its invasion, Ukrainian players have refused to shake hands with the 28-year-old.
Sabalenka understands the reaction isn’t personal. She narrated an incident when a coach accused her of dropping the bombs, especially when she stands against the idea of war.
“Not shaking hands—I respect that position. I know it’s not personal. They’re sending a message. But it was tough, the amount of hate I was receiving from people on tour. One coach went nuts on me, saying that I’m the one who’s throwing the bombs. It’s obvious that I want peace for everyone. I don’t want this war to happen,” Aryna Sabalenka said.
The Belarusian remains hopeful of entering an agreement where players can come together, not fight against each other and use tennis as a platform for peace. Sabalenka regretted the divide the war has created between the players, considering Ukrainians and Belarusians were like “brothers and sisters”.
“They should sit down at the table and, with negotiations, figure their shit out. But I also think that sport is a platform and a place where we can come together, not fight against each other as if we’re having our own war. Get together, be together, show peace. For so long, Ukrainians and Belarusians were like brothers and sisters. We’re the same. We’re all tied close together. And now there’s a huge wall between us, and I don’t know if it’s ever going away,” she added.
Aryna Sabalenka has always emphasised that sports and politics don’t blend, and she has repeatedly advocated for peace.
Aryna Sabalenka’s concerning run continues on clay this season
On the tennis front, Aryna Sabalenka hasn’t shown much promise on clay before fighting for the Grand Slam title at the French Open. After picking up an injury during her title-winning campaign at the Miami Open, Sabalenka delayed her start to clay season.
She eventually returned to competitive action in Madrid and was put to the test by Japan’s Naomi Osaka. After escaping with a win after a three-set affair, she squared off against underdog Hailey Baptiste and suffered a shock quarter-final exit. In the three-set thriller, the American left the Belarusian jaded and sent her packing 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).
She then switched her focus to the Italian Open, but failed to go past the third round. Sorana Cîrstea scripted a remarkable comeback to knock top seed Aryna Sabalenka out of the tournament.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
