Aryna Sabalenka apologized for swearing during her loss to Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. The world No. 2 said her words were not directed at the Ukrainian tennis player, but at a small group of spectators in the stands.
Svitolina won the match on November 13 by a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, eliminating Sabalenka from the tournament. Television footage from the match showed the Belarusian tennis player using an obscene expression after another error, while reactions in support of Svitolina could be heard from the stands. Some social media posts portrayed her words as being directed at Ukrainian supporters.
Sabalenka: I reacted emotionally
In an Instagram post, Sabalenka wrote: “I want to clarify a few things regarding my last match. My comment was not directed at Elina. I was annoyed by a small group of spectators who were aggressively celebrating my mistakes, and I reacted emotionally in that moment.”
She added that she should have expressed her frustration in a different way and apologized to everyone who felt offended. “Elina played an incredible match and I wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament,” Sabalenka wrote.
Svitolina advanced to the final
After the match, Svitolina did not shake hands with Sabalenka. The Ukrainian tennis player has followed a policy of not shaking hands with players from Russia and Belarus since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Svitolina advanced to the semifinals, where she defeated Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-1. She thus qualified for the WTA Finals final, where she will face Mirra Andreeva.
Sources: wtaq.com, channelnewsasia.com, sports.yahoo.com