Home » Roland Garros, even the Ukrainian Svitolina does not shake Sabalenka’s hand. The Belarusian: “But I don’t support war”

Roland Garros, even the Ukrainian Svitolina does not shake Sabalenka’s hand. The Belarusian: “But I don’t support war”

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Roland Garros, even the Ukrainian Svitolina does not shake Sabalenka’s hand.  The Belarusian: “But I don’t support war”

A scene already seen: Aryna Sabalenka at the net waiting to greet her opponent, who however leaves without shaking her hand. She had already happened at the end of the first round of Roland Garros, since the Belarusian tennis player world number 2 had met and beaten ukraine Marta Kostyuk. It happened again at the end of the quarterfinal of the Grand Slam on clay in Paris: Ukraine Elina Svitolinaalways in the front row against the guerradid not want to shake hands with the Belarusian rival who had just beaten her for 6-4 6-4 and who was waiting for her for the traditional greeting. If after Kostyuk’s gesture, Sabalenka had tried to dampen the controversy by declaring that she had understood the gesture of her opponent, this time the number 2 in the world replied in a press conference: “I do not support war. And I want sports not involved in the politicsBecause I am just a tennis player“.

The post match was tense this time. Svitolina for the whole match received the warm support of the Roland Garros audience – also because of his relationship with the favorite of the house, the French Gael My son – but at the end of the match he left the field in a mix of applause e whistles. The same ones that the spectators had reserved for Kostyuk after his gesture. At the press conference, the Ukrainian tennis player relaunched: “I don’t know why she was waiting, because my statements had been enough clear on the handshake. Maybe she doesn’t have social media,” she commented regarding Sabalenka’s attitude. To then add: “No I will sell my country to people like these.” Harsh but not new statements for Svitolina, who defined tennis as “my personal front”. And that she already she hadn’t shaken hands in the previous shift to Daria KasatkinaRussian tennis player Putin’s opponentto which he had however reserved only one thumb up at the end of the match.

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Different speech for Sabalenka, who was not even worthy of a look. On the other hand, the Belarusian has long been in the sights of her Ukrainian opponents alleged closeness to the leader of the country, Aljaksandr Lukashenko, which supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sabalenka she had been received at the palace by the Belarusian president after winning the Australian Open last January. Also due to the controversy, the number 2 tennis player in the world had chosen not to appear again at the press conference. Today, however, you have decided to reply to Svitolina, declaring your opposition to the war and adding: “If I wanted to do politics, I wouldn’t be here”. Pressed by journalists precisely on Lukashenko, Sabalenka reiterated: “I do not support war, which means that I don’t support Lukashenko right now“. And on the photos with the leader of his country, he explained: “We have played many matches of Fed Cup in Belarus and he was there and he took pictures with us after games. Nothing bad was happening at the time.”

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