CNN
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World No. 2 Aryana Sabalenka did not attend a customary post-match press conference after her third round of victory at the French Open on Friday, saying that she did not feel safe when she attended a press conference earlier this week.
On Wednesday, after winning the second round of the tournament, Belarusi was repeatedly asked to comment on war in the role of Ukraine and Belarus at a press conference, but he refused to do so again and again. This continued until the modelor stopped the inquiry line.
Sabalenka said on Friday, “After my match I talked to the media, like I do normally.” “I know they still expect some questions that are more about politics and not so much about my tennis.
“For several months, I have now answered these questions in the tournament and are very clear in my feelings and my thoughts.
“These questions do not bother me after my matches. I know that I will have to answer the media on my tennis or things related to my matches, but on Wednesday I did not feel safe in the press conference.
“When I interview journalists after my matches, I should be able to feel safe. For my own mental health and well -being, I have decided to get myself out of this situation, and the tournament has supported me in this decision.
“It’s not an easy few days, and now my focus continues to play well here in Paris.”
Instead of holding a press conference on Friday, Sabalenka’s comments are from an interview by tournament organizers in Rolland Garos in Paris, according to Reuters. Generally, a press conference is required by the players.
Reuters also stated that the French open organizers said they want to “protect” Sabalenka and whether she participates in the post -press conferences after other matches.
CNN has reached the French Open organizers, French Tennis Federation for comments.
In 2021, Naomi Osaka Japan made headlines and argued when it announced that she would not attend the press conference during the French Open citing her mental health. She later took back during the tournament before her second round match.
Sabalenka has already provoked some difficult questions at the press conference in Rolland Garos, including a reporter who “turning it off as a Ukrainians hate you” and asked him to condemn the war on questions of “avoid” and condemn the war, Belarus is being used as a major staging in Russia.
Sabalenka said in March that she was struggling to understand the “hatred” in the locker room amidst stressful relations between some players after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
“Regarding the situation of war, I said many times, many times, anyone in this world – Russian athletes, Belarusi athletes – supports war. Nobody. Nobody. We can support war? Normal people will never support it,” he said.
Russian and Belarusian players are currently competing on tourism in the form of neutral athletes without their flags or country.
