Azarenka out of Ukraine tennis exhibition
Victoria Azarenka will not play in the Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition at Flushing Meadows on Thursday (AEST), the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has announced.
The former world number one was due to participate in the charity event set up in support of Ukraine ahead of next week's US Open.
The Belarusian's involvement in the exhibition came under scrutiny from Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk, who subsequently declined the opportunity to compete alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek and John McEnroe.
Azarenka had called for player unity following Russia's Belarus-assisted invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, with the two-time Australian Open winner saying Wimbledon's ban on Russian and Belarusian players made no sense.
Following the recent criticism led by Kostyuk, who was bemused by the presence of Azarenka, the USTA decided it would be in the best interest of the event if she was not involved.
In a statement, the governing body said: "In the last 24 hours, after careful consideration and dialogue with all parties involved, Victoria Azarenka will not be participating in our 'Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition' this evening [Wednesday].
"Vika is a strong player leader and we appreciate her willingness to participate. Given the sensitivities to Ukrainian players, and the ongoing conflict, we believe this is the right course of action for us."
