By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 5, 2023
For players and fans, tennis should be an opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the sport week in and week out.
However, the conflicts of the outside world have made themselves felt on the court throughout the sport’s history. And that’s certainly been the case at this year’s Roland Garros.
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The most talked about, and ongoing global issue that continues to make news in tennis is the 15-month Ukraine and Russia conflict. Ukraine, Russian, and Belarusian players have found themselves defending their actions and words, both on and off the terre battue courts.
That issue may reach its full impact when No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus takes on Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in a highly anticipated women’s quarterfinal.
Since the war started, Ukrainian players, like Svitolina, have refused to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents. And that’s very likely to be the case tomorrow no matter who wins.
Outside the court, Sabalenka early on in the tournament faced withering criticism in post-match press conferences about her official stance on the conflict. That’s despite the fact that she made her strongest statement against the conflict yet earlier in the event.
“About the war situation, I said it many, many times nobody in this world, Russian athletes, Belarusian athletes – supports the war. Nobody,” Sabalenka said. “How can we support the war? Normal people will never support it.”
The criticism against Sabalenka, particularly from one Ukrainian journalist, prompted Sabalenka to recuse herself from official post-match press conferences moving forward at the event to protect her mental health.
Aryna Sabalenka on why she missed her post-match press conference today:
“For my own mental health & well-being, I decided to take myself out of this situation today, & the tournament has supported me in this. On Wednesday I didnt feel safe in press conference.” pic.twitter.com/aJAgHP394g
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 2, 2023
Sabalenka, since then, has now only faced questions from a selected pool of writers either working for the tournament itself or the WTA, a move that has earned both praise, from those who agree that Sabalenka should not have to answer questions she doesn’t want to, to disapproval from those who feel that an independent media should be allowed player access no matter…
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