"Talking openly against a dictator will not end well" - Tennis fans defend Aryna Sabalenka after Ukrainian journalist's 'harassment' at French Open

Tennis fans rallied behind Aryna Sabalenka following a heated exchange with a Ukrainian journalist after her 7-5, 6-2 win over Iryna Shymanovich to advance to the third round at the 2023 French Open.

During her post-match press conference, Sabalenka was confronted by a Ukrainian journalist and asked about her support for Belarus's president Alexander Lukashenko. The journalist labeled Lukashenko a "dictator" and reminded Sabalenka of her previous New Year's celebration with him, despite his regime's ongoing religious persecution of protestants.

Sabalenka refused to comment, saying:

"I have no comments to you, so thank you for your question."

The journalist's insistence that the World No. 2 publicly denounce Belarus for its involvement in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, elicited a similar response.

"I have no comments for you," Aryna Sabalenka replied.

After the journalist pressed her for a response, the moderator stepped in and stopped the line of questioning.

Several tennis fans expressed concerns about the pressure on Sabalenka to make a statement against a dictator, emphasizing that openly criticizing him in the media could have negative consequences for her and her family.

"You will all push and push and push her to make a statement, but you realize talking openly against a dictator and humiliating him in the media will not end well for her yes ? And her family, yes?" a fan tweeted.

"You know I am an anonymous tt account, still I hesitate to criticize the autocrat of my own country, so she might try to keep herself and her family safe. Incredible people still not eager to understand that," another fan commented.

Other fans called out the "harassment" the World No. 2 was continuing to be subjected to.

"Aryna has been asked this question 100 times already. At some point it is simply harassment," a fan posted.

"At this point you are letting angry people throw accusations at tennis players, These aren’t even proper questions. I understand the anger of the Ukrainian journalist but I also understand that sabalenka would potentially be putting herself into a a dangerous position," another fan chimed in.

Here are some more fan reactions:

Aryna Sabalenka will take on Kamilla Rakhimova in French Open 3R clash

Aryna Sabalenka through to the third round at the 2023 French Open

Aryna Sabalenka's win over Iryna Shymanovich propelled her to the third round of the French Open for the fourth consecutive year. However, unlike her success in reaching the semifinals or better at the other three Grand Slams, she has yet to progress beyond the third round at the claycourt major.

Sabalenka will be up against Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round. Rakhimova defeated Magdalena Frech in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) to book her spot against the second seed.

As the third-round clash will mark their first-ever meeting on the tour, Aryna Sabalenka and Kamilla Rakhimova's head-to-head record currently stands at 0-0.