Sergiy Stakhovsky rips Aryna Sabalenka: 'Empty words'

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Former Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky called out Aryna Sabalenka on Twitter, accusing the Belarusian tennis star of dropping "empty words." This week in Stuttgart, top-ranked Belarusian tennis player Sabalenka said "I would stop the war if I could - but it's not in my hands." In recent weeks, Sabalenka has several times spoken about the locker room tension and feeling "hatred" from some players just because she is from Belarus.

"Arina Sabalenka, 'If there would be anything I could do to stop the war I would do it but the reality is a cannot do anything' The fact is that she even didn’t try to stop this war and she definitely has the platform to try.

So everything she says is empty words," Stakhovsky tweeted.

arina sabalenka “If there would be anything I could do to stop the war I would do it but the reality is a cannot do anything”
The fact is that she even didn’t try to stop this war and she definitely has the platform to try.

So everything she says is empty words. — Sergiy Stakhovsky (@Stako_tennis) April 19, 2023

Stakhovsky called out Sabalenka

Recently, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko praised Sabalenka's success from early 2023.

Addressing Lukashenko's comments, Sabalenka acknowledged it didn't help her situation in the locker room. Also, Sabalenka suggested it's not fair to blame her for anything because she is not the one controlling the war in Ukraine.

“I’m pretty sure that it’s not helping. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say, because again, he can comment my game, he can comment whatever he want to. Again, I have nothing to do with politics.

I’m just an athlete, yes, from Belarus, and I’m just trying to do my best in my sport. Just trying to focus on myself. If Ukrainians will hate me more after his speech, then like 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, like, 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. I’m just trying to stay less in the internet so I’m not going to see anything like that.

I’ll be able to focus on myself and on my game and not get too depressed about this situation," Sabalenka said.