Sabalenka apologizes for her comments about Ukrainians

After losing 2-1 to her Ukrainian opponent Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals on Friday, Arina Sabalenka made a statement once footage caught by cameras during the match revealed that she had sworn at Ukrainians. The Belarusian player both apologized and defended her reaction in a post on her Instagram account.

Sabalenka said her words were not directed at her opponent. She said she became angry at a small group of spectators who loudly cheered her mistakes, and reacted in the heat of the moment. Acknowledging that she needs to manage her anger differently, the player apologized to everyone she had hurt.

Responding to the apology, Svitolina acknowledged that there were Ukrainian fans in the stands. She said she hoped the matches between them would be respected. Svitolina also recalled that she had previously been subjected to hostile comments related to the war in Ukraine.

According to lip-reading claims on social media, Sabalenka used Russian profanity during the match and was alleged to have said "These damn Ukrainians." Svitolina, for her part, reminded that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, she has refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players, and that other Ukrainian tennis players have maintained this stance too.