Belarusian quizzed on war and her country’s presidentSvitolina and Williams speak out before Wimbledon
Aryna Sabalenka may wish it to be otherwise but there was no getting away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Elina Svitolina and Venus Wiliams – who will play each other in round one – made it clear that even if Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to play in this year’s Championships, the topic is far from closed.
As the highest-ranked Belarusian (or Russian) player, Sabalenka, the world No 2, has been asked more questions than most about her feelings toward the war and her country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko.
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