The ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has a multitude of ripple effects. The tussle also bled on sports, and the results were quite visible. Aryna Sabalenka is one of the players right in the midst of the tussle. In the French Open press conferences, Sabalenka became the scapegoat for reporters. After answering many questions related to the war, however, the Belarusian came home to a special gift given by her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov. 

The drama between the press and Russian and Belarusian players has been in heavy focus. Reporters in the pressers post-match have also time and again asked questions related to the war. Due to this, Sabalenka decided to boycott the conference after the matches. She eventually changed her mind and decided to sit for the interviews. 

Aryna Sabalenka receives a much-needed gesture

Sabalenka won her quarterfinal bout against Elina Svitolina in straight sets. After the match, the tennis player decided to lift her press boycott. Seemingly, that decision did not work out too well for Sabalenka.

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Before the interview began, the Belarusian player was asked if she felt safe at the conference. The Tiger had her time away from the presser and was able to bring herself to a calm state. Therefore, she felt safe, adding that people not spreading rumors about her was also a reason.  

The Belarusian player was grilled about the war and was even asked about her ties to Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus. The World number 2 was quick to answer that she didn’t support the war and therefore did not support the President.

She also talked about the crowd chastising Svitolina after the match for not shaking her hand. For Sabalenka, it was an undeserved gesture as she said that the Ukrainian did not deserve to be sent off by being taunted.

Sabalenka left after a tough day at the presser. Awaiting in her hotel room was a wonderful bouquet of Tulips. Konstantin Koltsov was 10 steps ahead as he had sent it for her. Delighted by the gesture, she shared a picture of the flowers on her Instagram story while tagging her beau. While the Belarusian will surely face difficult interviews for a while, she has a strong support system set in place. 

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