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Belarusian Sabalenka Says Lukashenko’s Comments ‘Not Helping’

Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 18, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during a press conference. (Reuters)
Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 18, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during a press conference. (Reuters)
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Belarusian Sabalenka Says Lukashenko’s Comments ‘Not Helping’

Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 18, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during a press conference. (Reuters)
Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 18, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during a press conference. (Reuters)

Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot control what Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says about her and that while his comments may make her even more unpopular on the women's Tour she would "stop the war" in Ukraine if she could.

The world number two spoke last month about the "hate" she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which was supported by its ally Belarus.

Lukashenko celebrated Sabalenka's Australian Open victory in January and said more recently that people knew which country she hailed from even if she was playing under a neutral flag.

In March 2022, tennis's governing bodies barred players from Russia and Belarus from competing under the name or flag of either country following the war, requiring them to play under neutral flags.

"I'm pretty sure that it's not helping," Sabalenka told reporters in Stuttgart on Tuesday when asked about Lukashenko's comments. "I don't know what to say because he can comment (on) my game, he can comment whatever he wants to.

"I have nothing to do with politics ... If Ukrainians will hate me more after his speech, then what can I do? If they feel better by hating me, I'm happy to help them with that. They can do that.

"But the rest, 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."

The 24-year-old said she kept away from the internet as much as possible to avoid reading negative comments.

"I'll be able to focus on myself and on my game and not get too depressed about this situation," she added.

Sabalenka is playing at the Stuttgart Open this week after withdrawing from the Charleston Open with a minor injury. She will face Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the claycourt event after receiving a bye in the opener.

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Mensik Prevents Djokovic from his 100th Title

Jakub Mensik (R) of Czechia holds the champions trophy, while standing next to Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia, after Mensik won the Men’s Singles Final at the 2025 Miami Open tennis tournament at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA, 30 March 2025. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Jakub Mensik (R) of Czechia holds the champions trophy, while standing next to Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia, after Mensik won the Men’s Singles Final at the 2025 Miami Open tennis tournament at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA, 30 March 2025. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
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Mensik Prevents Djokovic from his 100th Title

Jakub Mensik (R) of Czechia holds the champions trophy, while standing next to Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia, after Mensik won the Men’s Singles Final at the 2025 Miami Open tennis tournament at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA, 30 March 2025. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Jakub Mensik (R) of Czechia holds the champions trophy, while standing next to Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia, after Mensik won the Men’s Singles Final at the 2025 Miami Open tennis tournament at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA, 30 March 2025. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH

Novak Djokovic faced a series of obstacles Sunday in the Miami Open final: a delay of more than 5 1/2 hours before the match, an eye infection and a slippery court due to high levels of humidity following the rain.
But the largest roadblock was the youth and power of 6-foot-4, 19-year-old phenom Jakub Mensik, who outdueled the 37-year-old Serbian 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) to win his first ATP title, The Associated Press reported.
Ranked 54th entering the tournament, the Czech Republic teenager plowed through Djokovic with poise and a stellar 130 mph serve. He collected 14 aces and got broken only once. Mensik bashed a service winner on match point and fell on his back.
"You’re the one I idolized when I was young," Mensik said to Djokovic during the ceremony after the match that lasted 2 hours, 3 minutes. “I started playing tennis because of you."
Mensik’s victory spoiled the party for Djokovic, who was seeking his 100th career title and a record seventh in the Miami Open. Djokovic will have to wait, while the teenager looks ready to join the elite.
“This is a joyous moment for him and his family — an unbelievable tournament, first of many," Djokovic said. “It hurts me to admit it, you were better. In the clutch moments you delivered the goods. For a young player like yourself, this is a great feature."
The crowd pulled hard for Djokovic, who hadn’t played here since 2019. More than three-quarters of the fans stuck around despite the massive delay, chanting “No-vak!" and singing his name across critical parts of the match.
Djokovic, far from a fan favorite here earlier in his career, saluted the fans, saying it was one of the warmest crowds he’s had ever.
But the men’s leader with 24 Grand Slam titles seemed compromised by his eye issue, with redness seen under the eyelid. Djokovic applied eyedrops during two changeovers in the first set. It was unclear if it affected his vision.
Afterward, Djokovic said he “really prefers not to talk about" his eye, but said “I didn’t feel my greatest on the court."
Djokovic called it “a weird day."
“It’s the same for both players," he added. “You have to accept the circumstances. I tried to make the most out of what I had or was facing but, yeah, it was quite different from any other day of the tournament for me."
During the set, he also slipped twice on the court. The humidity reached 90% after hours of rain disrupted the card. Sweating profusely, Djokovic asked the umpire for a bucket of sawdust to sprinkle on his wet grip.
Mensik had lost to Djokovic in a three-setter last October at the Shanghai Masters but the youngster said before the match he had played too nervously.
Mensik was playing his first ATP 1000 final. He was not quite 2 years old when Djokovic won his first Miami Open title in 2007.
Djokovic knew Mensik’s potential after inviting him to his camp in Belgrade to train when the prodigy was 16.
“He has the complete game. His serve is incredible, powerful, precise,” Djokovic said.
There was more fearlessness this time than in Shanghai. Mensik got up 3-0 with an early break but Djokovic broke back at 4-3, then held for 4-4 after fans chanted his name.
Mensik held for a 6-5 lead in a game that saw Djokovic take a tumble in the doubles alley chasing a drop shot. Mensik served it out with his seventh ace.
In the first-set tiebreak, Mensik charged ahead 5-0. Mensik executed a leaping backhand volley winner and Djokovic muffed a routine forehand drop shot into the net to fall behind 5-0. On set point, Mensik slugged an overhead smash for a winner.
The match was scheduled for 3 p.m. but the players didn’t take the court until 8:37 p.m. due to rain and organizers deciding on completing the women’s doubles final.
The South Florida rain began at 12:50 p.m. during the women’s doubles final pitting Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider against Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato, with Andreeva and Shnaider leading 3-0 in the first set.
The women’s players returned to the court at 5:30 p.m. after the rain stopped and the courts were readied by court-drying machinery. But rain began minutes later before warmups and the umbrella-toting players left the court again.
The women returned to the court an hour later and resumed play at 6:50 p.m. Andreeva and Schnaider went the distance, prevailing in a third-set match tiebreaker 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-2.