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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.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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