Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka speaks of ‘hate’ in locker room over Russian invasion of Ukraine

Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka said she faced “hate” in the locker room over her country’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The BBC quoted the Australian Open champion saying she also had “weird conversations” with members of players’ teams.
Belarus, an ally of Russia, allowed troops to use its territory to launch the invasion last year.
“It was really tough to understand that there’s so many people who hate me for no reason,” Sabalenka, 24 was quoted as saying BBC Sports.
“I did nothing,” she added.
Players from both countries are classified as neutral athletes since the start of the conflict and were banned from last year’s Wimbledon.
Sabalenka, who lost in the final of Indian Wells to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina on Sunday, was speaking before the start of the Miami Open.
“It was really tough for me because I’ve never faced that much hate in the locker room,” she was quoted BBC. “There are a lot of haters on Instagram when you’re losing matches, but in the locker room I’ve never faced that. ”
“I had some, not like fights, but I had some weird conversations with, not the girls, but with members of their team. It was tough. It was [a] tough period. But, now it’s getting better.”
Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from a match against Sabalenka – the 2023 Australian Open champion – at Indian Wells last week.
Tsurenko said she had suffered a panic attack after a chat with Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) chief executive Steve Simon about the sport’s response to Russia’s invasion.

The WTA also issued a formal warning to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova at Indian Wells for wearing a Spartak Moscow football shirt before her match against American Jessica Pegula.
While world number one Iga Swiatek has said there should be a greater focus on helping Ukrainian players as the conflict enters a second year, two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, said she does “not share the same opinion” as Swiatek.
BBC quoted her as saying: “I’d encourage her to look at the things that have been done before she makes comments. As a player council member I’m happy to provide the facts. That would be a more appropriate way to have that conversation.”