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Aryna Sabalenka is hitting back at Lesia Tsurenko's coach as the Belarusian tennis star claims she had "a really tough situation" with Nikita Vlasov last year because of the way how he acted towards her. On Monday, Ukraine's Tsurenko said a panic attack caused her to give Sabalenka a walkover in their Indian Wells third-round match.
Then, Tsurenko's coach Vlasov unloaded on Sabalenka, accusing her of supporting the Belarusian regime and claiming that people like Sabalenka are to blame for the situation in Ukraine. After beating Maria Sakkari in the Indian Wells semifinal, Sabalenka confirmed there's tension between Russian/Belarusian and Belarusian players.
But Sabalenka reiterated her previous message that she personally has done nothing bad to the Ukrainian people.
Sabalenka responds to Tsurenko's coach accusations
"I was through so many bad things, and unfortunately, I’m not able to say that because who gonna believe a Belarusian girl.
I mean, talking about her coach. I have been through also through hell, and I understand that. I don’t know. The more I’m talking, the better I just stop. Yeah, I mean, I think Tsurenko withdraw, there was more than a panic attack or more than a political situation.
I think there is something more. I had a really tough situation last year with her coach the way he acted toward me. So I think that guy put so much pressure on her, and that’s why that happens. It’s nothing to do with WTA.
I mean, they are doing their best job. What they can do? Nobody of us has this control in this situation. All of us just trying to, you know, keep the calmest in the locker room and keep understanding that there is no our fault and that all of us understand Ukrainians, and we really feel bad for them, you know," Sabalenka said.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, Sabalenka has been insisting that she is "for peace in the world."