‘We Have Zero Control’ – Belarusian WTA Star Aryna Sabalenka Openly Lashes Out at Wimbledon for Mixing Sport With Politics

Published 01/02/2023, 1:24 PM EST

Aryna Sabalenka has recently commented on the highly debated Wimbledon‘s ban on Russian and Belarusian players last summer. Sabalenka, the world No. 5, was one of several most promising players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev who had to drop out of the Grand Slam owing to the decision. The All England Club firmly decided against Russian and Belarusian players to uphold the ideals of international peace following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Aryna has expressed helpless disappointment about this influence of politics on sports. She is of the opinion that political matters should not affect sports adversely and decide the fate of the players. The Wimbledon organizers suffered a hefty fine from both ATP and WTA, along with the ranking points being stripped from the tournament. However, it definitely did not change the scenario for the players who lost out on one of the most crucial tournaments of the season.

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Aryna Sabalenka is going to miss the crowd

The 24-year-old Belarusian tennis player calls the ban pointless. To add to the decisions from Wimbledon, the Russian and Belarusian players would be playing for a neutral flag in the Australian Open 2023. According to Aryna, this harps on the feeling of nationalism and makes the players feel as if they belong “nowhere”.

Aryna said, in an exclusive interview with The Age, “no one supports the war.” The tennis star is further hopeful that she would be allowed to participate in Wimbledon 2023. According to her, “It was a tough time. I was super disappointed with their decision.”

During the tournament, Sabalenka was in Miami, making peace with the fact that she wasn’t allowed on court and hence did not watch any matches.

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The player clarified on her stance about the war that has been making headlines for quite some time now. She said, “I’m just really disappointed sport is somehow in politics. We’re just athletes playing their sport…If all of us could do something, we would do it, but we have zero control. They banned us from Wimbledon, and what did it change? Nothing – they’re [the Russian government] still doing this, and this is the sad [part] of this situation.”

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Wimbledon 2023 looks towards a more inclusive participation

Although nothing has been confirmed by the authorities yet, Wimbledon 2023 might not follow the same guidelines they had last year. By following through with the ban, the tournament had to endure a hefty financial loss.

The WTA imposed fines on both the LTA and the All England Club in light of this ban. What remains to be seen is whether the players would be allowed to play on behalf of their nations or would they be under a neutral flag again.

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Written by:

Annesha Banerjee is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in English. Her love for tennis and other sports is influenced by her mother, who was a remarkable athlete back in the day.

Edited by:

Tony Thomas

‘We Have Zero Control’ – Belarusian WTA Star Aryna Sabalenka Openly Lashes Out at Wimbledon for Mixing Sport With Politics

Aryna Sabalenka is going to miss the crowd

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Wimbledon 2023 looks towards a more inclusive participation