USTA announces Victoria Azarenka will sit out Tennis Plays for Peace Ukraine exhibition

WATCH: Azarenka played her first match after missing Wimbledon due to the Russian-Belarusian ban at the Citi Open in August.

The USTA announced on Wednesday that former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka would not participate in its Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition in support of Ukraine.

“Vika is a strong player leader and we appreciate her willingness to participate,” the USTA wrote in a statement. “Given the sensitivities to Ukrainian players, and the on-going conflict, we believe this is the right course of action for us.”

Azarenka has been vocal in her desire for player unity in the wake of Russia and Belarus’ invasion into Ukraine, which began in late February. Fallout from the war has included Russian and Belarusian athletes playing without their respective flags, and the All England Club’s decision to ban those athletes from competing ay this year’s Wimbledon Championships.

“I think what people missed here was a big opportunity to show how sports can unite,” Azarenka said of the Wimbledon ban at the Citi Open. “I think we missed that opportunity, but I hope we can still show it.”

Conversely, her participation in Tennis Plays for Peace received criticism from Urkrainian athletes, most notably Marta Kostyuk, who previously declined her own invitation to attend the exhibition in protest.

“I don't understand how human it really is,” she said in an interview with Ukrainian publication BTU. “Why does she do it and why does she go for it. Purely human, because she knows from our words how we cannot tolerate them here, how we want them not to be at any tournament, like in England. Despite this, she goes for it. She doesn't even communicate with us, but here she just takes and does. I can't understand why?”

The Tennis Plays for Peace exhibition is set to take place on Wednesday evening.