Article by David Istrate – Published Friday, 08 May 2026, 13:53 / Updated Friday, 08 May 2026 13:55
After qualifying for the 3rd round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, Aryna Sabalenka (27 years old, 1 WTA) heard about the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to lift the sanctions imposed on Belarusian athletes and expressed her joy.
On Thursday, May 7, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Barbora Krejcikova (30, 53 WTA) 6-2, 6-3 and qualified for the third round of the tournament in Rome, where he will meet Sorana Cîrstea (36 years old, 27 WTA).
Aryna Sabalenka, WTA world leader: “I would be extremely proud to represent Belarus”
After the victory in the Italian capital, the world leader heard from the decision of the International Olympic Committee to lift all sanctions imposed on Belarusian athletes and to recommend international federations to do the same.
Sabalenka expressed her joy on this topic. “I really hope they give us back the flagsaid the 27-year-old tennis player. “I know how much I inspire young kids, I know that. They send me messages, and I just want them to believe in themselves, telling themselves that no matter where you come from, you can make it to the top,” she added.
So far, the WTA and ATP have not made any decisions regarding the Belarusian tennis players, but Sabalenka dreams of the moment when she will be able to represent her country in tournaments and her flag will appear next to her name again.
“For me, the fact that I'm representing such a small country and all the work I've had to put in to get to the top is incredible. The fact that I made it this far means a lot to me. I would be extremely proud to represent Belarus“, concluded the quadruple Grand Slam winner, quoted by news.ro.
IOC recommendation rejected by World Athletics: “Sanctions remain”
Following the IOC's announcement, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry and National Olympic Committee welcomed the IOC's decision and praised IOC President Kirsty Coventry for her “balanced and principled stance”.
Instead, The Ukrainian Olympic Committee criticized the decision, and the World Athletics Federation announced that it would not lift the sanctions imposed on Belarusian athletes.
As a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the sanctions implemented in March 2022 by World Athletics, which exclude athletes, officials and support staff from Russia and Belarus, remain in place.
Our council has made a clear decision that when there is a clear move towards peace negotiations, we will begin to reassess our decisions. We all hope that will happen soon, but until then the Council stands firm with the decision it took in March 2022 and reviewed in 2023 and 2025
– World Athletics
