Fuming Belarus star slams Wimbledon ban

1 year ago 91

Aryna Sabalenka has questioned the effectiveness of Wimbledon's determination to prohibition Russian and Belarusian players from this year's tournament.

The satellite No.5, who hails from Belarus, was among those forbidden from contesting the lawsuit owed to the ongoing war waged by Russia against Ukraine.

Sabalenka and athletes from the portion person been connected the receiving extremity of sanctions globally that person prevented them from competing oregon representing their country.

She volition contention the Australian Open successful 2023, albeit nether a neutral flag.

Top women's players Victoria Azarenka, Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova arsenic good arsenic starring men Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov were notable omissions.

"This is truly unspeakable due to the fact that nary 1 supports warfare – nary one," Sabalenka told The Age.

"The occupation is that we person to talk large astir that ... but wherefore should we shriek astir that successful each corner? It's not going to assistance astatine all. We person zero power nether this situation.

"I'm conscionable truly disappointed athletics is someway successful politics. We're conscionable athletes playing their sport. That's it. We're not astir politics. If each of america could bash something, we would bash it, but we person zero control.

Watch Team Australia instrumentality connected the satellite successful the United Cup, unrecorded and exclusive connected 9Now and Stan Sport

"They banned america from Wimbledon, and what did it change? Nothing – they're inactive doing this, and this is the bittersweet [part] of this situation."

Whether Wimbledon continues its prohibition remains to beryllium seen, though reports retired of Europe bespeak the prohibition volition beryllium lifted successful immoderate shape.

Wimbledon organisers were slapped with dense fines aft their enactment this year, which had the knock-on effect of removing associated ATP subordinate ranking points.

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