Aryna Sabalenka has once again found herself facing criticism over her silence on the ongoing situation in her homeland. This time, Belarusian politician Pavel Latushka is calling her out, questioning why she has chosen to remain largely quiet on the matter.
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“With great power Sabalenka comes great responsibility,” he wrote on X. “Recently, I saw a TIME magazine cover featuring a Belarusian woman. But is she really Belarusian? I’ve often wondered how to get in touch with Aryna Sabalenka to send her a message, but since I couldn’t, I’m making it public. Why can’t I accept Aryna Sabalenka?”
Now, he isn’t just another critic calling out Sabalenka. Latushka used to be a cabinet minister and an ambassador under President Alexander Lukashenko. He is a part of the shadow cabinet, which is run by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. According to him, given that Sabalenka is one of the country’s most popular athletes, she should use her platform well.
“Tennis and global sports are always about luxury and stardom; the whole world knows these athletes. Sabalenka is undoubtedly one of Belarus’s most prominent athletes, reaching the pinnacle of tennis alongside legends like Natasha Zvereva and Max Mirnyi,” he added.
His criticism came after Sabalenka told TIME that she did not want to discuss the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sabalenka said. Now, while she did say she doesn’t want to talk about it recently, this wasn’t always the case. Back in 2023, she addressed the situation more directly when questioned at the French Open.
After defeating Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, Sabalenka said she did not support the war or the position of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“I don’t want my country to be in any conflict; I don’t support the war,” Sabalenka said at the time. “I don’t support war, meaning I don’t support [Belarusian President] Alexander Lukashenko right now.”
However, it’s crucial to add that these comments came after she had skipped her previous press conferences, citing the sheer mental toll of being asked questions about the invasion. She said she felt disrespected and wanted the focus to be on tennis rather than politics. She also made it clear even then that she didn’t want her press conferences to turn into political discussions.
“But in the last press conference, I felt like my press conference became a political TV show, and I’m not expert in politics. I’m just a tennis player.”
That history is worth remembering because Sabalenka’s current silence does not mean she has never spoken about it. She has maybe just focused on her mental well-being and given her sport more focus now.
That approach is really different from Ukrainian players who have been very vocal about the conflict. Marta Kostyuk is one among many who subscribe to the call of responsibility put forth by Latushka. She openly talked about how remaining silent is not really an option.
“I think I have such exposure, so many people follow me, so many people look up to me… I’m here, I do my job, of course, this is the most important thing, but at the same time, the reality back home is very, very different,” Kostyuk explained. “So I just, I feel like I cannot ignore it, and I have to share it. I have platform for this, and I have a voice.”
Then there are others, speaking through actions. Many players have refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players. A great example of that is Elina Svitolina, who refused to do the customary post-match handshake with Anastasia Potapova and Ekaterina Alexandrova at the National Bank Open.
The incident with Potapova made headlines as she had changed her sporting allegiance from Russia to Austria last year and is now representing them. But Svitolina still decided not to shake hands with her, showing how serious she is about the issue.
Sabalenka has mostly distanced herself from discussions about the conflict. The 28-year-old is against the war and had previously stated that she does not support Lukashenko at the 2023 French Open. She has instead been focused on her game and has tried to improve it in every way she could.
Nevertheless, it’s not just the players who are serious about the conflict, but even Ukrainian coaches also have the same mindset. Some of them even delivered harsh comments towards Sabalenka during the 2022 season after the tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated. That season was already quite tough for the Belarusian, but it became even worse when she had to deal with the mean stuff that was said about her.
Aryna Sabalenka used to cry after hearing the mean comments from the Ukrainian coaches
Opening up about the criticism she faced, Sabalenka remarked that it got so bad at times that it started affecting her game and mentality.
“Some of the Ukrainian coaches, they would say really, really, really mean stuff to me,” she said in the interview with TIME magazine. “I don’t want to repeat it. It was so terrible. So it got to my head, and I would be hysterically crying.”
The criticism only added another layer to Sabalenka’s burden. She failed to win any singles titles during the season and also struggled with her serve, committing a total of 452 double faults.
But the Belarusian found her footing by the end of the season. She reached the semifinals in both Cincinnati and the US Open before reaching the final of the WTA Final. This late-season surge would be the catalyst for her sensational 2023 season.
This was the year when Sabalenka won her maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open. She also won titles at the Adelaide International and Madrid Open. Moreover, she reached the final of the US Open and also took over the No. 1 spot in the rankings. It is still regarded as one of the most successful years that Sabalenka has had on the Tour.