"It’s not the best feeling to be hated for nothing": Sabalenka continues to reiterate feeling hate for being Belarusian

Aryna Sabalenka admitted that it doesn't feels good to be hated for nothing as the continued tensions due to the War in Ukraine persist in the locker room.

The vast majority of tennis players are not political due to the fact that they travel all around the world and keeping an open attitude toward all benefits their careers greatly.

Sabalenka never expressed any political views herself however she has been feeling hate due to simply where she was born:

“Definitely I feel a lot of weird looking at me and, yeah, probably hate from some of the people. But now I just realise that I have done nothing bad to Ukraine and I did nothing. There is some people don’t like me just because I was born in Belarus. It’s like it’s their decision, and I cannot control that. Yeah, it’s not the best feeling to be hated from people for basically nothing, but it is how it is.”

Considered a hero of sorts back home, Belarus controversial president has spoken favourably of Sabalenka and her achievments which might not really help her cause of his close ties to Moscow. Asked about it, she said:

“I’m pretty sure that it’s not helping. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say, because again, he can comment my game, he can comment whatever he want to. Again, I have nothing to do with politics. I’m just an athlete, yes, from Belarus, and I’m just trying to do my best in my sport.

"Just trying to focusing on myself. If Ukrainians will hate me more after his speech, then like what can I do? If they feel better by hating me, I’m happy to help them with that. They can do that. But the rest, like, if I could stop the war, I would do that, but unfortunately it’s not in my hands and it’s not under my control."