"When Naomi Osaka asks for that, they want to persecute her" - Tennis fans divided after Aryna Sabalenka ditches French Open press conference

Aryna Sabalenka has locked herself in a tight spot after ditching her press conference at the 2023 French Open and tennis fans seem to be having a mixed reaction to it.

The Russia-Ukraine war has indeed reaped havoc upon the sports world and has ignited conflicts amongst Russian and Ukrainian players on the tour. Despite the authorities on-site taking countless measures to prevent any nuisance, trouble found its way to Aryna Sabalenka and unquestionably shook her privy of safety.

After Sabalenka overpowered fellow Belarusian tennis player Iryna Shymanovich in the French championship's second round, moments concerning highly charged exchanges were witnessed. This, in turn, forced the No. 2 seed's hands into not wanting an open press conference for herself, a decision which was supported by the organizers.

Sabalenka, however, was not entirely deprived of a press conference. The Belarusian spoke to a small batch of journalists hand-picked by the 2023 Roland Garros organizers. Owing to the unneglectable circumstances, Sabalenka was asked to deliver her thoughts and address the issues she experienced

"I know that I have to provide answers to the media on things not related to my tennis or my matches but on Wednesday I did not feel safe in press conference."

"I should be able to feel safe when I do interviews with the journalists after my matches. For my own mental health and well-being, I have decided to take myself out of the situation today, and the tournament has supported me in this decision. It hasn't been an easy few days, and now my focus is continue to play well here in Paris," spoke Aryna Sabalenka.

After the contents of her transcript made their way to the global tennis community, a handful of tennis fans sided with her and heavily criticized any actions causing Sabalenka's mental health to go down the drain.

"Good! The harassment needs to stop," one fan wrote.

Another fan spoke about how it's absurd for journalists to ask questions not remotely related to her performance in tennis and questioned the relevancy of politics with sports.

"Seems fair enough to me. What's she supposed to do? Let her play tennis. I don't remember American players being quizzed about the lunacy of Trump or Brits being asked about Partygate."

Some tennis fans, however, are of the opinion that Sabalenka's actions were not justified. One fan explicitly mentioned Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka receiving backlash under similar circumstances.

"But when Naomi asks for that, they want to persecute her and attack her."

Here are some more reactions from tennis fans:

Aryna Sabalenka books a spot in the 2023 Roland Garros fourth round

After collecting a reassuring victory, Aryna Sabalenka has marched into the French Open fourth round. The World No. 2 performed in sheer confidence as she ousted Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets on Friday to record her 10th straight victory at a Grand Slam this year.

So far this season, the Belarusian has had a considerably applaudable run. However, her potential ultimate clash against Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros might result in disruptions, as it would make Sabalenka the new World No. 1 and displace the Pole from the top.