Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky hits back at Aryna Sabalenka, says she never tried to stop the Russia-Ukraine war

Sergiy Stakhovsky has called out Aryna Sabaelenka for recently saying that she would stop the Russia-Ukraine war if she could. The former Ukrainian tennis player said that the 24-year-old Belarusian has never made an attempt to end the war despite having a platform to do so.

Some players from Russia and Belarus have raised concerns over the growing animosity between players due to the war, which began in February 2022. Last year, the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club) banned the Russians and Belarusians from competing at the Wimbledon Championships, a decision that has been reversed this year.

While in Miami last month, Sabalenka remarked that players from Russia and Belarus have been facing unnecessary "hate" from their colleagues. Addressing a press conference at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, the World No. 2 was once again asked about the situation in the locker room.

"If they [Ukrainians] feel better by hating me, I'm happy to help them with that. They can do that," Sabalenka said. "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."

Although Stakhovsky moved to Budapest (Hungary) in 2014 along with his family, he returned to Ukraine as soon as the war began and joined the Ukrainian Army. Responding to Sabalenka's statement, the 37-year-old suggested that whatever the 2023 Australian Open champion says is meaningless.

"Aryna Sabalenka - 'If there would be anything I could do to stop the war, I would do it but the reality is a cannot do anything'. The fact is that she even didn’t try to stop this war and she definitely has the platform to try. So everything she says is empty words," Stakhovsky tweeted.

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Sergiy Stakhovsky teases war documentary

Sergiy Stakhovsky

Last month, Sergiy Stakhovsky shared a teaser of a war documentary called 'Athletes of War' and slammed the International Olympic Committee for wanting to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Earlier in March, the IOC had called for unity, saying that those players should be allowed to compete under a neutral flag and not be discriminated against because of their passports.

"IOC recommends a plan for russian and belarusian athletes to compete @Paris2024… the only question is how much ? How much a human life cost to IOC? How much morality and fairness cost? A teaser for a documentary directed by Gabriel Veras. #BoycottRussianSport," Sergiy Stakhovsky tweeted.

The teaser shows Stakhovsky saying that most Russian players have supported the war, which makes it impossible for the Ukrainian athletes to stand next to them at any event.