New Delhi, November 15 (Yes Punjab News)
Aryna Sabalenka has apologised for her on-court outburst following her defeat to Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals, while denying that her remarks were directed at the Ukrainian player.
Svitolina defeated the four-time Grand Slam singles champion 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in their group-stage match on Friday. A video showing Sabalenka angrily gesturing and swearing in Russian during the match circulated on social media on Saturday.
A day later, the Belarusian player issued an apology on social media, clarifying that her comments were aimed at spectators who were cheering her mistakes.
“I want to clarify something from my recent match that has been circulating online. 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 wrote.
“That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologise to anyone I offended. Elina played a great match, and I wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament,” she added.
Friday’s victory was Svitolina’s first over Sabalenka since Strasbourg in 2020. It ended a five-match losing streak against the Belarusian, including their Australian Open semi-final encounter in January.
During the match, Sabalenka also vented her frustration by hitting her racquet and crouching at the back of the court after losing a point.
Svitolina did not shake hands with Sabalenka after the match, maintaining her long-standing policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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