Elina Svitolina called for respect for her matches against Aryna Sabalenka after an episode from their encounter at the WTA Finals sparked heated reactions on social media. The Ukrainian tennis player said she had seen some of the discussions, but warned that what happened was often being portrayed in a distorted way.
“Sometimes everything gets distorted on social media. I hope our matches will be treated with respect,” Svitolina said.
She pointed out that there are many Ukrainian supporters in the stands at her matches who come to cheer her on. Sabalenka also has her own fans, and this affects the atmosphere at different tournaments.
Victory by 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
Her comment came after the third-round match in the group stage, in which Svitolina defeated Sabalenka 6–3, 3–6, 6–1. The victory sent the Ukrainian through to the semifinals, while the Belarusian tennis player’s participation in the tournament came to an end.
During the match, Sabalenka uttered a profane phrase in Russian. The video quickly spread online, and users tried to determine from the movement of her lips who the words had been directed at. Some of them assumed they had been aimed at Svitolina or at the Ukrainian spectators.
After the defeat, Sabalenka declined to attend the post-match press conference. Later, she explained that her emotional reaction had been triggered by spectators who were loudly celebrating her mistakes, rather than by any actions from her Ukrainian opponent.
Svitolina added that she had also encountered unpleasant comments related to the war in Ukraine in previous matches. She did not directly accuse Sabalenka, but stressed the need for the matches between the two to be viewed with respect for both the players and the spectators.
Sources: obozrevatel.com