“This situation was my fault,” Wimbledon ban triggers false guilt on Aryna Sabalenka over the Ukraine War
Aryna Sabalenka feels false guilt for the Ukraine war after Wimbledon banned players from Russia and Belarus last year.
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Aryna Sabalenka
After facing criticism, which led to Belarusian and Russian tennis players being banned from Wimbledon, Aryna Sabalenka has opened up about feeling responsible for the war in Ukraine. The Australian Open champion expressed her desire to participate in this year’s Wimbledon tournament, as there were reports that the ban would be lifted.
Last year, Sabalenka was among the numerous players impacted by the Wimbledon ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. Despite being ranked as the world No. 6 at the time of Wimbledon in 2022, the 24-year-old was unable to participate as the AELTC enforced a prohibition on all players from these two nations in reaction to the Ukraine invasion.
Speaking about the ban lift at the Indian Wells, Sabalenka said, “Well, to be honest, I am trying to stay away from this. Last year, it was super painful for me and I was really worried about that but this year, I mean, I cannot control it. They will do whatever they want to and I really hope that we are going to playing there. I like the tournament, it’s a beautiful place, I like the crowd.”
She further added, “I really miss the people there because it’s really enjoyable playing in front of fans there. So yeah, I really hope they’re going to let us play. If not, then what can I do? Before, I was really worried about that and I didn’t really know what to do and I really thought that this situation was my fault, you know? Like, the reaction of people to some different things made me feel really bad but then I realized that this is not under my control and I did nothing bad against Ukrainian people.”
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Aryna Sabalenka starts Indian Wells Open on a high
Since the ban, Sabalenka has accomplished even greater feats. She secured her first Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open in January and regaining her career-best ranking of No. 2. With these achievements under her belt, Sabalenka is now an even stronger contender for the Wimbledon title this year, provided she is allowed to compete. The 12-time title winner has shared her desire to return to SW19, while also highlighting the emotional impact that last year’s ban had on her.
All Russian and Belarusian players have since competed as neutrals since March 2021, with their national teams prohibited from participating in Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and United Cup events. The Belarusian star is currently playing the Indian Wells Open and had a good start.
She entered the tournament as the second seed and defeated the unseeded, Evgeniya Rodina in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. In the time of the season dominated by Iga Swiatek, she is one of the few players who can potentially end her good run. Sabalenka will be facing Lesia Tsurenko in her next round later this week.
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Santhosh Tenneti
(308 Articles Published)