Aryna Sabalenka has recalled the time a coach made her retreat to the WTA office in tears after blaming her for Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia. The coach once mocked the Belarusian World No 2 after losing a match, and it’s not the only run-in she’s had regarding the current conflict.
Sabalenka will compete at Wimbledon this year after missing the 2022 edition under the All England Club’s ban against Russian and Belarusian players.
Her preparations suffered a blow in her warm-up grass tournament, the German Open, as she bowed out in the second round against Russian wildcard Veronika Kudermetova.
The 25-year-old lost in straight sets to join Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff as high-profile early exits in Berlin.
Ahead of Wimbledon, Sabalenka has revealed the time she was verbally attacked by a coach working with a Ukrainian player as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on.
“One day, a coach of a Ukrainian player told me, ‘I’m glad you lost’. I went to the WTA office. I cried like a baby, unable to speak,” Sabalenka explained.
“He followed me and shouted that I was throwing the bombs… We don’t support war. So what do you expect from us? That we shout ‘no war’?”
In March, Sabalenka was set to face Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the Indian Wells third round, only for her opponent to suffer a panic attack before the match, dropping out.
After the walkover, Tsurenko’s coach Nikita Vlasov aimed fire at Sabalenka, accusing her of supporting the Belarusian and Russian regimes.
She responded: “I went through so many bad things, and unfortunately, I’m not able to say that because who is going to believe a Belarusian girl. I mean, talking about her coach.
“I have also been through hell, and I understand that. I don’t know. The more I’m talking, the better I just stop.
“Yeah, I mean, I think Tsurenko withdrew due to more than a panic attack or more than a political situation.
“I think there is something more. I had a really tough situation last year with her coach, the way he acted toward me.
“So I think that guy put so much pressure on her, and that’s why that happens. It’s nothing to do with WTA.”
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
