Aryna Sabalenka not worried about 2023 Wimbledon - "If they ban us for another year, I'm going to have fun at home"
In light of next year's Wimbledon Championships, Aryna Sabalenka has declared that although she will wait for their decision on whether Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to play or not, she will not lose sleep over it at all.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) decided to ban players from Russia and Belarus from participating in the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. This meant that top players like Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov missed the prestigious tournament.
In retaliation, the ATP and WTA made the decision to strip the event of ranking points for the players who appeared at SW19. The AELTC was even fined by the ATP and WTA while facing the threat of expulsion from the ATP.
Speaking to AFP in Dubai, Sabalenka recently stated that she is not going to worry about the things that she has no control over. The 24-year-old, who turned pro in 2015, said that if the Russians and Belarusians were once again barred from playing next year, she would happily spend time with her family at home and prepare for future tournaments.
"I think I have zero control over this situation," Sabalenka said. "I'm just sitting and waiting for the decision. And whatever happens, happens. If they're going to ban us for another year, okay, whatever, I'm going to have fun at home in Miami, I'm going to spend some time with my family and do another pre-season. Whatever they decide, it's their decision. I don't care about Wimbledon."
The fifth-ranked player added that she hoped that the All England Club would reverse its decision.
"I really hope that they will be a little bit more open for us. But as last year showed, they are not really happy with Belarusians and Russians at their event," she added.
Aryna Sabalenka to face Iga Swiatek in World Tennis League
Aryna Sabalenka is currently in Dubai to play the inaugural edition of the World Tennis League exhibition tournament. She is part of Team Falcons, which also features Novak Djokovic, Paula Badosa, and Grigor Dimitrov.
Sabalenka is set to take on World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Team Kites on December 23. The Belarusian recently defeated the Pole in the semifinals of the WTA Finals and will look to repeat the result.
In her first match, Aryna Sabalenka lost 0-6, 6-1, 10-6 against Hawks' Elena Rybakina. She then teamed up with Dimitrov to beat Team Eagles' Rohan Bopanna and Bianca Andreescu 2-6, 7-6(4), 10-7.