MOSCOW, August 24 Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka will not take part in the exhibition match before the US Open (US Open) by the decision of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), journalist Ben Rothenberg reported on his Twitter, citing a press release from the tournament. «Azarenka is a strong player. We appreciate her willingness to participate. Given the sensitivity of Ukrainian tennis players and the ongoing situation, we are confident that this is the right course of action for us,» Azarenka is a former world No. 1. Currently ranked 26th in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. On account of the 33-year-old Belarusian 21 tournament titles under the auspices of the WTA, including two victories at the Australian Open and the gold of the 2012 Olympic Games in the mixed doubles. In March, the ITF canceled all tournaments in Russia and Belarus under the auspices of the organization amid the situation in Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian tennis players can compete in ATP and WTA tournaments, as well as in Grand Slam tournaments only as neutral athletes.
