"Aryna, nothing bad will happen to you if you do this" - Belarusian politician calls out Sabalenka as tensions brew

Aryna Sabalenka has been targeted by Belarusian politician Pavel Latushka after remaining silent on the current events happening in her native homeland. This comes after a particular interview she did where she still kept her cards close to her chest on the current affairs.

Russia's invasion in Ukraine commenced in 2022 and was supported by Belarus. The implications and aftermath of all of this goes into sport as well with Russian and Belarusian athletes unable to compete under their flag while even being suspended from Wimbledon in that year.

Adding to that, Ukrainian tennis regularly refuse to acknowledge their Russian and Belarusian counterparts on the court with the likes of Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk and Oleksandra Oliynykova speaking up on this touchy topic.

In a recent interview with TIME Magazine, the four-time Grand Slam champion was asked about the ongoing war, clearly against it as she has always been, "No one does. It’s so obvious," she answered. Adding to that, she also refused to speak on or call out the head of the country, President Alexander Lukashenko. "I don’t want to talk about it," she responded.

This has not gone well at all with Latushka. Once a cabinet minister and an ambassador under Lukashenko, his allegiances had changed in 2020 with him now being apart of a shadow cabinet run by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The country made headlines between 2020-2021 as huge protests deeply affected the country.

This was shut down with many of the protesters still suffering the consequences in prison after they went to the streets to protest Lukashenko's authoritarian rule. Back in 2023, Sabalenka publicly stated at Roland Garros that she does not support Lukashenko due to the war.

Latushka has regularly tried to get in contact with the World No.1 but has not got anything coming back. He has since gone to X to share his dismay with Sabalenka for keeping quiet.

"With great power Sabalenka comes great responsibility," he wrote. "Recently, I saw a TIME magazine cover featuring a Belarusian woman. But is she really Belarusian? I’ve often wondered how to get in touch with Aryna Sabalenka to send her a message, but since I couldn't, I’m making it public. Why can't I accept Aryna Sabalenka?"

With tennis being a huge sport, and Sabalenka one of the biggest stars, Latushka expected for her to come out and use her platform to spread her message, unlike other noticeable names. "Tennis and global sports are always about luxury and stardom; the whole world knows these athletes. Sabalenka is undoubtedly one of Belarus's most prominent athletes, reaching the pinnacle of tennis alongside legends like Natasha Zvereva and Max Mirnyi."

He continued to share his dismay with the 28-year-old. "Yet I, along with many Belarusians, cannot accept her—you only need to look at the massive ratio of dislikes on articles about her on @zerkalo_io. I think it's crucial to explain why: she refuses to acknowledge the horror happening in our country and fails to condemn the aggression against our neighbour.

"As a world-class athlete, she has the standing to address Lukashenko directly and say: 'Release all the female political prisoners currently behind bars.' Aryna, nothing bad will happen to you if you do this. You have the power to make this move. Do it, and the Belarusian people will truly appreciate you."

Sabalenka will now have this on her mind as she gets dragged into the politics of her home country amid a dip in form on the court. She is set to travel to the US Open struggling to find her old self. The latest setback came in another brutal defeat at the Cincinnati Open last-16, this time against Sara Bejlek. She will hope to raise her level once more in a bid for a third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows.