Belarusian tennis sta, Aryna Sabalenka, has blamed the behaviour of some spectators for her angry reaction during her defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals on Saturday, November 14.
The world number two lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to Svitolina, with footage of her swearing in Russian and gesturing angrily during the match sparking controversy on social media.
Some commentators interpreted her remarks as an insult directed at Svitolina or Ukrainians. However, the 28-year-old denied targeting her opponent, insisting that she was reacting to spectators who celebrated her mistakes.
In a statement posted on social media after the match, Sabalenka admitted losing her temper but maintained that her comments were not directed at the Ukrainian.
“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,” she wrote.
“That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologise to anyone offended.”
Sabalenka also praised Svitolina’s performance, calling it a great match and wishing her opponent success for the remainder of the tournament.
The incident comes amid strained relations between Ukrainian players and their Russian and Belarusian counterparts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian players have maintained a policy of refusing to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents after matches. They also avoid taking pre-match photographs together.
