Sabalenka commented that her profanities were not directed at Svitolina
“I was angered by a small group of spectators who aggressively cheered my errors, and in that moment I reacted emotionally.”
Photo: Robert Prange / Getty Images
Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka commented on her emotional outburst following her loss to Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina.
“I want to clarify one moment from my recent match that is being actively discussed online.
My comment was not directed at Elina. I was angered by a small group of spectators who aggressively cheered my errors, and in that moment I reacted emotionally.
Nevertheless, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologize to everyone I offended. Elina played a great match, and I wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament,” Aryna Sabalenka wrote on Instagram stories.
As a reminder, in a 2026 WTA Finals match, Belarusian tennis player Sabalenka lost to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
Against this backdrop, she made an emotional outburst. Her voice cannot be heard in the match broadcast, but judging by her lips, it appeared that the profane phrase directed at her Ukrainian opponent was “f*cking Ukrainian b*tch, f*ck”.