Tennis-Sabalenka says WTA doing its finest to help gamers amid tensions because of conflict
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(Reuters) – World quantity two Aryna Sabalenka stated the Girls’s Tennis Affiliation (WTA) was doing a superb job of supporting gamers from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus amid tensions within the locker room following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine final 12 months.
Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from her match with Belarusian Sabalenka at Indian Wells because of what she stated was a panic assault triggered by a chat with WTA Chief Government Steve Simon about tennis’s response to Russia’s invasion.
Belarus has been a staging floor for what Moscow calls a “particular navy operation”.
The highest-ranked Iga Swiatek referred to as for extra help to be provided to Ukrainian gamers after Tsurenko’s pullout and stated the actions taken by the tennis management was not sufficient.
“No one can management the feelings of others. I believe the WTA are doing their finest,” Sabalenka stated after reaching the Indian Wells remaining on Friday.
Sabalenka stated there was nonetheless stress between gamers however particular person athletes had not achieved something incorrect.
“Not me, not Russian athletes, not Belarusian athletes, not certainly one of us did one thing dangerous. So what else I can I say? I believe the WTA are doing a extremely nice job to help either side,” Sabalenka stated.
“All of us are attempting to maintain calm within the locker room and maintain understanding that this isn’t our fault and that each one of us perceive Ukrainians and we actually really feel dangerous for them.”
Sabalenka takes on Russian-born Kazakh Elena Rybakina within the remaining at Indian Wells on Sunday in a rematch of their Australian Open title conflict which the Belarusian received for her first Grand Slam crown.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Modifying by Lincoln Feast.)
