Sabalenka apologises for outburst during WTA Finals loss to Svitolina

Apology follows social media backlash

World number two Aryna Sabalenka posted a message denying that her comments targeted opponent Elina Svitolina. Footage showed the Belarusian athlete making angry gestures and cursing in Russian while losing 6-3 3-6 6-1. Some commentators interpreted these remarks as an insult towards Svitolina or Ukrainians generally. Sabalenka stated she lost her temper because of aggressive cheering from a small group of spectators.

Svitolina maintains no handshake policy

A long-standing rule prevents Ukrainian athletes from greeting Russian or Belarusian rivals because the invasion continues. Svitolina refused to shake hands with Sabalenka after the match, holding that position since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. The loss eliminated Sabalenka from the season-ending tournament while Svitolina advanced to face Mirra Andreeva in Sunday's final. Svitolina called for mutual respect and acknowledged that fans' passions can sometimes run high during matches.

Both players wish each other well

Sabalenka added that she wished Svitolina all the best for the rest of the tournament. The 28-year-old admitted she should have handled her frustration differently and apologised to anyone offended by her reaction. After defeating Linda Noskova in the semi-finals on Saturday, Svitolina said to reporters that they have faced each other numerous times before. She expressed hope that future matches between them would be respected despite past comments regarding the war.