Belarusian star accuses coach of Ukraine participant of creating her ‘cry like a child’

Aryna Sabalenka has recalled the time a coach made her retreat to the WTA workplace in tears after blaming her for Ukraine’s ongoing warfare in opposition to Russia. The coach as soon as mocked the Belarusian World No 2 after dropping a match, and it is not the one run-in she’s had relating to the present battle.

Sabalenka will compete at Wimbledon this 12 months after lacking the 2022 version underneath the All England Club’s ban in opposition to Russian and Belarusian gamers.

Her preparations suffered a blow in her warm-up grass match, the German Open, as she bowed out within the second spherical in opposition to Russian wildcard Veronika Kudermetova.

The 25-year-old misplaced in straight units to affix Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff as high-profile early exits in Berlin.

Ahead of Wimbledon, Sabalenka has revealed the time she was verbally attacked by a coach working with a Ukrainian participant because the battle between Russia and Ukraine rages on.

“One day, a coach of a Ukrainian player told me, ‘I’m glad you lost’. I went to the WTA office. I cried like a baby, unable to speak,” Sabalenka explained.

“He followed me and shouted that I was throwing the bombs… We don’t support war. So what do you expect from us? That we shout ‘no war’?”

In March, Sabalenka was set to face Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko within the Indian Wells third spherical, just for her opponent to undergo a panic assault earlier than the match, dropping out.

After the walkover, Tsurenko’s coach Nikita Vlasov aimed fireplace at Sabalenka, accusing her of supporting the Belarusian and Russian regimes.

She responded: “I went through so many bad things, and unfortunately, I’m not able to say that because who is going to believe a Belarusian girl. I mean, talking about her coach.