Sabalenka apologizes for on-court outburst in WTA Finals loss to Svitolina

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka has apologized for an on-court outburst in her three-set loss to Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals.

Video circulating widely on social media appeared to show Sabalenka swearing in a tirade during Friday’s 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 loss at the season-ending championships in Indian Wells.

The former top-ranked player from Belarus said on Saturday she was upset by the behaviour of spectators during the match.

“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 posted on Instagram without mentioning what she said.

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

Sabalenka was visibly annoyed during the match, and she declined to speak with media afterward.

“There’s many flags and many Ukrainian supporters are here and of course they want me to win in this particular match,” Svitolina said when asked about Sabalenka’s online post.

“I have seen the glimpse of it because obviously it’s in the social media, but yeah, I just hope the matches between us are respected. Sometimes in some matches there are not great comments towards me in regards of the war. It is like this in the social media sometimes that things are turned around a little bit,” she said.

Svitolina and others from her country have refused to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in line with policy set by the Ukrainian Tennis Federation.

Svitolina is set to play Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in Sunday’s final of the $10 million event.

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The Associated Press