Sabalenka Slammed By Tsurenko's Coach Amidst Ukraine Comments
WTA
Lesia Tsurenko's coach, Nikita Vlasov, hit out at Aryna Sabalenka after the Belarusian's recent comments.
The two players were supposed to meet in Indian Wells recently, but their match didn't happen. Shortly before it was supposed to begin, Tsurenko withdrew from her third-round match against the Belarusian.
Later, the Ukrainian player named a panic attack as the primary reason. She explained that she experienced a panic attack after having a conversation with the WTA CEO Steve Simon about the participation of Russian and Belarusian players in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Sabalenka recently spoke about those tensions. The Belarusian player also spoke about the hate in the locker room that she experienced, and also stated that she thought Tsurenko withdrew their match because of a panic attack that wasn't related to the current political situation.
As Tsurenko's coach, Vlasov obviously noticed those comments. He was less than happy about Sabalenka's words, saying that he didn't like her response at all. Specifically, Vlasov missed any words about Tsurenko or the ongoing situation, which Sabalenka tries to avoid addressing.
"There were no words from Sabalenka about wishing Lesia well or a speedy recovery. She didn’t condemn Simon’s words by any means and the whole situation either."
"In her comment, she did the same trick as the Russian propaganda did at the beginning of the war. Back then, Russians and Belarusians said that it was the Ukrainians who were bombing their capital. It’s just an attempt to shift the focus from the situation, nothing else."
It's clear why Sabalenka wants to avoid any elaborate statements on the situation. First of all, English is not her primary language, which makes it more challenging for her to express what she wants to say properly.
At the same time, it's also understandable why Vlasov feels the way that he feels. As a coach of a Ukrainian player, he knows first-hand how challenging their situation is at the moment.
