Belarus’ Azarenka dropped from Ukraine exhibition at US Open

NEW YORK: Two-time major champion and former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka was dropped Wednesday from a pre-US Open exhibition event raising money for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.

Azarenka is from Belarus, which helped Russia launch its invasion of Ukraine in February.

At least one Ukrainian tennis player, Marta Kostyuk, questioned having a Belarusian player participate in the US Tennis Association’s “Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition,” scheduled for Wednesday night in Louis Armstrong Stadium at Flushing Meadows.