Aryna Sabalenka gives a FIRM warning to the Wimbledon press about not discussing the Ukraine war following her outburst at the French Open

The Belarusian has made her intentions of not discussing the war during the tournament clear.

Aryna Sabalenka gives a FIRM warning to the Wimbledon press about not discussing the Ukraine war following her outburst at the French Open

Aryna Sabalenka (Image Credits: Tennis365)

During the pre-Wimbledon media session for the ongoing championships, Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka wasted no time in setting the tone for her press conference. The World No. 2 has made it clear that she will only discuss tennis-related matters and refused to engage in discussions about the ongoing war in Ukraine.

 This decision comes after Sabalenka faced a barrage of questions on the subject during the French Open, where she expressed her discomfort with such inquiries.

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She declared that she would only address tennis-related topics and requested that reporters respect her decision. Sabalenka firmly stated, “I’m not going to talk about politics. I’m here to talk about tennis only. Please respect that. If you have any kind of political questions, you can ask the WTA or the tournament. They can send you the transcript of my answers from the previous tournaments.”

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Sabalenka does not wish for a repeat of her press experience at Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Credits: WTA)

Sabalenka’s decision to avoid political questions stems from her experience at the 2023 French Open. During the tournament, she faced numerous inquiries about the war in Ukraine and Belarus’ involvement in the conflict. These questions made her uncomfortable, prompting her to skip two news conferences during the tournament. Sabalenka’s response to the war at the time was, “I don’t support war, and I don’t support (Belarusian President) Lukashenko right now.”

Tennis fans applauded her decision to take control of the press conference and assert her focus on tennis. They believe that players should not be obligated to comment on political matters and commended Sabalenka for drawing a clear boundary between her sport and politics.

Aryna Sabalenka’s recent performances have solidified her status as one of the top contenders in women’s tennis. She won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year and reached the semifinals at the French Open. Although she suffered a narrow defeat in the semifinals to Karolina Muchova, Sabalenka is determined to bounce back and make a strong showing at Wimbledon.

Sabalenka’s Wimbledon campaign kicks off with a match against Hungarian player Panna Udvardy on Tuesday, July 4. The Belarusian is hopeful and excited to be back at the prestigious tournament. She recalled her previous experiences at Wimbledon with fondness, expressing her gratitude to be competing on the grass courts once again.

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