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Tennis fans are enraged by a journalist’s inappropriate question to Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka at French Open 2023 - regarding her stand on the Russia–Ukraine war.
On Sunday, May 28, World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka scored a straight-sets victory, 6-3, 6-2, over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the first round of the French Open. The match-up concluded without a handshake at the net, given the two players’ nationalities.
At the press conference that followed, Sabalenka, who is vying for the World No. 1 spot, was asked by a journalist the message she would like to convey as the World No. 1. The individual went on to angle the question around the 24-year-old’s nationality and seemingly accused her of 'twisting' the narrative about the frosty exchanges between her and the Ukrainian players.
“This situation with Ukrainian players show that you're twisting it as if Ukrainians hate you, but they do not say that they hate you. The only thing they want to know from you is either you condemn the war or you support the war,” the journalist said.
The person insinuated that Sabalenka purposefullly refuses to give a straightforward answer to the question.
“This is the only thing that Ukrainian players want to hear. You're avoiding this question. You're coming up with different answers,” the questioner said. “So you say it's politics, even though missiles launched from Belarus does not choose if it's a politician or tennis player.
“What is your message as the World No. 1? How can you sort it out with Ukrainian players that there is no more words ‘hate’ or something like that? Thank you,” the journalist concluded.
Tennis fans were left unimpressed by the journalist’s line of questioning. Many called out the person for “bullying” the tennis player and putting her in a dangerous situation by “forcing” her to answer war-related questions. They even blasted the French Open authorities for failing to protect the players.
"This is straight-up bullying and [Mauresmo] needs to ban this line of questioning all at once. What's the point of the anti-bullying campaign if they're letting journalists feed the public into the very thing they're trying to protect the players from??" one fan said.
"Aryna shouldn’t have even answered this bully of a journalist," another fan opined.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, support the war" - Aryna Sabalenka during French Open press conference
Despite the journalist's inappropriate line of questioning, Aryna Sabalenka maintained her composure and chose to answer the question.
She clarified that she doesn't create narratives, instead, she merely answers the questions framed by the reporters.
"First of all, when I get the question about Ukrainians, they ask me, like, 'So you know that they hate you?'" she clarified.
"So I'm answering the question that 'if' they hate me, I don't feel anything like that," she answered.
Sabalenka went on to declare that she doesn't support war, like any 'normal' person.
"About the war situation, I said it many, many times: Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, support the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Nobody, normal people will never support it," she added.
Aryna Sabalenka is through to the second round of the French Open 2023. She has now set up a clash with her compatriot Iryna Shymanovich.
