Aryna Sabalenka claims feeling unsafe at French Open press conference, opts out of attending full presser for mental health reasons
Prioritizing her own mental health and well-being, Aryna Sabalenka opted out of attending a full press conference at the 2023 French Open after her third-round win. The Belarusian was instead allowed to speak to a smaller group of reporters that were specially approved by the tournament organizers.
The announcement came in the wake of a heated exchange between Sabalenka and an Ukrainian journalist after her second-round match, where the latter posed questions about her alleged support for President Alexander Lukashenko amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
On Friday (June 2), Sabalenka booked her spot in the second week of Roland Garros by downing Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets. News broke out soon after that the World No. 2 had decided not to have a full presser.
Aryna Sabalenka made it clear that the decision was because of the events that transpired on Wednesday, which made her feel "unsafe." While the 25-year-old admitted that she had no issues talking about things other than her tennis on most days, continued questions about her political allegiance did not sit right with her.
"Yeah, after my match I spoke with the media like I normally do. I know they still expect some questions that are more about the politics and not so much about my tennis," Aryna Sabalenka said.
"For many months now I have answered these questions at tournaments and been very clear in my feelings and my thoughts. These questions do not bother me after my matches. I know that I have to provide answers to the media on things not related to my tennis or my matches, but on Wednesday I did not feel safe in press conference," she added.
The Belarusian also expressed hope that she could focus on the tournament at hand and try playing her best during the second week in Paris.
"I should be able to feel safe when I do interviews with the journalists after my matches. For my own mental health and well-being, I have decided to take myself out of this situation today, and the tournament has supported me in this decision. It hasn't been an easy few days, and now my focus is continue to play well here in Paris," Aryna Sabalenka said.
To be clear, Aryna Sabalenka decided not to hold an "open" press conference. Instead organisers selected a small group of journalists to ask her questions as part of an interview that was pooled to all media. "On Wednesday I did not feel safe in press conference," she said.
It should be noted that Aryna Sabalenka's decision not to speak to the press was in relation to an "open" Q&A session with journalists on site. The World No. 2 did communicate with a group of selected journalists hand-picked by the French Open authorities, where the main focus was on the tennis side of things.
"I played way better than in the previous matches" - Aryna Sabalenka
Touching on her performance against Kamilla Rakhimova in one of those selected questions, Aryna Sabalenka expressed happiness with the level of tennis she displayed on the night.
"I think I played way better than I played in the previous matches, and I'm super happy with that. It wasn't easy match. She's moving well, putting a lot of balls back. Yeah, I was trying my best every point and super happy with the win today," Sabalenka said.
Now 10-0 in Grand Slams this year, Aryna Sabalenka awaits the winner of the clash between Sloane Stephens and Yulia Putintseva in the next round.