"You're not going to like my answers": Dayana Yastremska refuses to go in depth on playing Belarusian Victoria Azarenka

Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska declined to comment on her feelings about playing against a Belarusian opponent after her victory over Victoria Azarenka. The 23-year-old secured her spot in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, her first time reaching this stage in a Grand Slam, and will face teenager Linda Noskova in pursuit of a semifinal berth.

Since the onset of the war, Ukrainian tennis players have expressed their opposition to Russian and Belarusian players participating in tournaments, but the WTA did not accede to the Ukrainian demands.

Players like Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, and Yastremska herself no longer shake hands with Russians or Belarusians when they play against them, sparking controversy in every match between Ukrainians and Russians/Belarusians.

In the French Open, Svitolina was actually jeered by the crowd after refusing to shake hands with Sabalenka, while at Wimbledon, it was Azarenka who faced boos after playing against Svitolina.

During the press conference following Yastremska's victory over the former world No. 1, the Ukrainian was asked if there is extra pressure when playing against a Belarusian amid the war: "Playing against the Belarusian player? If I'm going to start talking about it, I think you're not going to like my answers so I'm just gonna say I want to skip this question," Yastremska said.

"Because I think, like, if you're asking this question, I'm sure you know how it is for us, for Ukrainians to play against Russians and Belarusians. I'm sure you know, so I don't think it's a good way to ask about this question," she added.

Yastremska acknowledged that she has felt increased pressure since the war broke out to deliver good results for her fellow Ukrainians. The current world No. 21 commented that she hopes to release herself from expectations to maintain a high level in the future:

"I was putting a lot of pressure on myself in different ways. In the way that it's the war and I have to show better results, you know, for Ukraine. And I wasn't playing just for myself in the beginning," Dayana Yastremska said.

"Then I was putting pressure on myself that before, like, when I was younger, I was much better than I am right now. In many ways, it's too long, you know, if I will say every pressure that I was putting on myself. But now I decided that from this year no more pressure, no more, like, high expectations for myself. Just be the way you are, and we will see how it's gonna go," she added.