Aryna Sabalenka has issued a statement denying that a mid-match outburst at the WTA Finals was aimed at her opponent Elina Svitolina, after a clip circulated on social media in which she was accused of saying "those f–––ing Ukrainians, for f–––'s sake" in Russian. The Ukrainian beat Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the group stage at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, ending the Belarusian's season-ending championship campaign.
Sabalenka's voice is not audible in the clip, which is drowned out by crowd noise and the chair umpire calling the score as she receives tennis balls before serving. In a statement posted a day after the match, she wrote that her comment "was not directed at Elina", explaining she had been frustrated with a small group of spectators aggressively cheering her mistakes. She added that she should have handled her frustration differently and apologised to anyone she offended, wishing Svitolina well for the rest of the tournament.S1S2
The episode lands against a wider backdrop of tension. Sabalenka, 28, is from Belarus, an ally of Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin launched in 2022. At the Australian Open this year she said, "I want peace," after Ukrainian player Oleksandra Oliynykova named her among players who had engaged with or praised state-sponsored activities or their countries' leaders. At the 2023 French Open she skipped two news conferences after repeated questions about her association with Belarus president Aleksandr Lukashenko, and the two players did not shake hands at the WTA Finals, in line with a longstanding policy among Ukrainian players.S2
Commentator Jon Wertheim argued the WTA must fine Sabalenka and that any money should go to a Ukrainian charity, but the WTA has not commented on the clip or on her apology. The apology may not settle the matter, and the issue is likely to resurface when Sabalenka returns to competition. Svitolina, 32, went on to beat Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková in the semifinals and was set to face Russian Mirra Andreeva in the final on Sunday.S1S2
