Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka: “If I could, I would stop the war” | Sports

So far, hardly any world-class athlete from Russia or Belarus has taken such a clear stand against the war in Ukraine!

At the Porsche It broke out at the Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart Aryna Sabalenka (24) out. World No. 2 from Belarus: “If I could stop the war, I would.”

What a big sentence! She knows that she can’t do that. “Unfortunately, that’s not in my hands. I can’t control that,” she said. You can tell how it gnaws at her that she is one of the most unpopular players on the tour.

She made it public herself. “A lot of people are pointing at me and some might even hate me. I didn’t do anything, not even against Ukraine. They don’t like me just because I was born in Belarus,” said the Australian Open winner.

How does she deal with it? “It’s their decision, I can’t influence it. But not being hated by people for nothing isn’t the best feeling. But it is what it is,” says Sabalenka.

It was not exactly beneficial that Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko (68) mentioned several times in a speech to the nation a few days ago. Her opponents in the tennis circus interpret the fact that she wants to clarify her departure from the Masters in Miami “after six double mistakes and because she hardly brought a ball into the field” personally with her that she is close to the president.

Sabalenka: “He can comment on anything he wants. I have nothing to do with politics. I’m just an athlete, yes, from Belarus. I do my best in my sport. If Ukrainians hate me even more after what he said, what can I do?”

The Ukrainian Lessja Zurenko (33) did not compete against Sabalenka at the Masters in Indian Wells. After WTA boss Steve Simon told her she had to live with the fact that players from Russia and Belarus stood by their countries, she said she suffered a panic attack.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka, who lives in Miami, continues to circle in world tennis. “I want to be number 1,” she says. And she only says that. Without glorifying additions regarding her country of origin.