Aryna Sabalenka apologises after viral video, denies insulting Elina Svitolina

Aryna Sabalenka apologised after a video of her swearing in Russian following her WTA Finals defeat to Elina Svitolina went viral. The Belarusian said her remarks were directed at spectators who cheered her mistakes, not at her Ukrainian opponent.

New Delhi: Aryna Sabalenka has issued an apology while also denying claims that she insulted Elina Svitolina after a WTA Finals loss following a viral video clip showing her swearing at the Ukrainian.

Svitolina registered a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over four-time Grand Slam singles champion Belarusian in the group stage Friday. Following a match, a video of Sabalenka angrily gesturing and swearing in Russian during her defeat by a Ukrainian player was posted on social media on Saturday.

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A day later, Sabalenka posted an apology on social media for her comment, which she said “was not directed at Elina” but at a “group of spectators who were aggressively cheering my mistakes.”

“I want to clarify something from my recent match that has been circulating online. My comment was not directed at Elina. I was frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering my mistakes, and I reacted emotionally in the moment,” Sabalenka wrote in a social media post.

“That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologise to anyone I offended. Elina played a great match, and I wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament,” she added.

Svitolina hadn’t beaten Sabalenka since Strasbourg in 2020. Friday’s win was her first over Sabalenka in six years, ending a five-match losing streak that included their Australian Open semifinal in January.

After the loss, Sabalenka took her frustration out on her racquet and, after losing a point, crouched to the ground at the back of the court.

Svitolina did ​not shake hands with Sabalenka after the match, maintaining a long-standing policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players because of the ongoing invasion of their country following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.