On Saturday , Arina Sobolenko fulfilled her dream and became the Grand Slam champion by winning the Australian Open . After that, at the championship press conference, she was asked how famous she was in her native Belarus.

Arina replied that she is quite famous, because there are not so many great athletes in the country.

In the final, even Alexander Lukashenko supported her. The Pool of the First telegram channel, covering his activities, first wrote: “ The first one looked, got sick, worried, sometimes used foul language, but predicted victory – in the second and third set. And of course, immediately congratulated!

A video of congratulations was also posted. On it, Lukashenka, together with a white Spitz, as well as businessman and member of his hockey team Sergei Teterin (who worked as chairman of the Belarusian Tennis Federation until 2021) drank a glass of vodka for Sobolenko’s success: “Now Arina has everything. It remains to wish personal happiness, health and new victories. Arina, for you!

Lukashenka loves tennis. For example, in 2010 he participated in a charity match with the participation of Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki, organized in Minsk.

And in 2012, he celebrated Azarenka’s victory at the Australian Open while in Sochi. As they said in a report on Belarusian television, then he “raised a mug of hot tea for her.”

 

This video on Saturday was also remembered by “Pool of the First”: “It seems that the video“ Pour it up! ten years ago (when Azarenka won the Australian Open) a competitor appeared😎”

He already congratulated Sobolenko on his victory in Adelaide this year. The message on the official website said: “To the delight of many fans from Belarus and from all over the world, you achieved this victory by showing an excellent game, iron endurance and self-control on the court. I am sure that we will have a bright season in which you will be able to conquer the highest peaks of world tennis.”