Sabalenka apologises after claims she insulted Ukrainians during WTA Finals loss to Svitolina

The match and the video

Aryna Sabalenka lost 3-6, 6-3, 1-6 to Elina Svitolina on Saturday, 14 November, in her final group-stage match at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, which ended her run at the tournament. Earlier in the event she had beaten Karolina Muchová 7-6(2), 7-5 and lost 4-6, 0-6 to Mirra Andreeva. According to HotNews, the alleged words came in the third set, when Svitolina led 2-1. On the same day, a Ukrainian tennis account called BTU, which some outlets describe as the national federation, posted a video on X showing Sabalenka's lip movements. Lip readers suggested she spoke in Russian and used insults against Ukrainians or a Ukrainian woman, but the audio is unclear and no official body has confirmed the words. Svitolina made no reference to any insulting remark after the match.

Sabalenka's apology

Late on Saturday, 14 November, Sabalenka addressed the video on social media and said her comment was not directed at Svitolina. She described being frustrated by a small group of spectators who cheered aggressively at each of her errors, and said she reacted on impulse. She added that she should have handled her frustration differently, apologised to anyone she may have offended and wished Svitolina well for the rest of the tournament. Ukrainian outlets offered a second reading, that the words were aimed at Ukrainians in general rather than at Svitolina alone.

Rivalry and handshakes

The tension between the two players is rooted in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Focus reports that Svitolina has traditionally refused to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus, a stance she kept after beating Sabalenka. Before the Finals, she also declined a group photo with Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva. A few days before this match, a French broadcaster's commentator was heard calling Sabalenka horrible while he believed his microphone was off, and a TV executive apologised on the channel's behalf. Sabalenka did not respond publicly to that remark.

Reaction in Ukraine and Belarus

Media in several countries, Ukraine included, reacted with outrage to the alleged words, Interia reported. In Belarus, an opposition-aligned portal published a critical article that quoted Belarusian fans who condemned the behaviour and asked Ukrainians not to see it as representative of their society. Most Belarusian sports media, by contrast, left out the alleged words entirely and reported only on the match and its consequences. The Belarusian response was therefore split between one critical portal and a broader silence across the sports press.

What comes next

Svitolina moves on, with Interia reporting that she is set to face Linda Noskova in the semifinal, while Sabalenka is out of the tournament. Neither the video nor the alleged words have been confirmed by an official body or independent verification, and the claims rest on lip reading alone. Sabalenka's post is the only statement from either player in the sources that addresses the matter. The Ukrainian post also asked whether the refusal of handshakes was still tennis's main problem, keeping the political dimension in the public debate.