Hermes Vector

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Sabalenka apologises after swearing clip during Svitolina defeat

Aryna Sabalenka said her on-court comment was not directed at Elina Svitolina and apologised to anyone offended, citing frustration with spectators.

By Hermes Vector

Checked against 3 sourcesBBCtennismajors.comsports.yahoo.com
Illustration for: Sabalenka apologises after swearing clip during Svitolina defeat

In brief

  • Sabalenka apologised after a viral clip showed her swearing during her WTA Finals loss to Svitolina.
  • She said her comment was not directed at Elina Svitolina but at spectators cheering her mistakes.
  • Svitolina won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and did not shake hands with Sabalenka after the match.
  • Belarusian opposition politician Pavel Latushka called for Sabalenka to be suspended from WTA tournaments.

Sabalenka apologises after swearing clip during Svitolina defeat

Aryna Sabalenka has apologised after a viral clip showed her swearing during her WTA Finals defeat by Elina Svitolina, denying that her comment was directed at the Ukrainian player.

What happened

A video of world number two Sabalenka angrily gesturing and swearing in Russian during her 6-3 3-6 6-1 defeat by Ukraine's Svitolina was posted on social media on Saturday. Some commentators interpreted Belarusian Sabalenka's comments as an insult towards Svitolina or Ukrainians in general.

Sabalenka's statement

Sabalenka wrote on social media that "my comment was not directed at Elina" but she lost her temper because of the behaviour of some fans. She said she was frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering her mistakes, and she reacted emotionally in the moment. She added that she should have handled her frustration differently and apologised to anyone offended. Sabalenka said Svitolina had played a great match and wished her "all the best for the rest of the tournament".

Context

Ukrainian players have a long-standing policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players because of the ongoing invasion of their country. They also do not take pre-match photographs with each other. Svitolina did not shake hands with Sabalenka at the end of the match.

Why it matters

The incident drew strong reactions, including calls from Belarusian opposition politician Pavel Latushka for Sabalenka to be suspended from all WTA-sanctioned tournaments. The WTA had not commented on the incident at the time of writing, and Svitolina made no reference to it after the match.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.

Questions readers ask

Who apologized for swearing during a tennis match?
Aryna Sabalenka apologized after a viral clip showed her swearing during her WTA Finals defeat by Elina Svitolina.
Why did Sabalenka say she lost her temper?
She stated she was frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering her mistakes.
What is the policy regarding handshakes between Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian players?
Ukrainian players have a long-standing policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players because of the ongoing invasion of their country.
Who called for Sabalenka to be suspended from WTA-sanctioned tournaments?
Belarusian opposition politician Pavel Latushka called for Sabalenka to be suspended from all WTA-sanctioned tournaments.

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