Former world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has issued an official statement apologizing for remarks she made toward Ukrainian fans during her match against Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina at the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, infohub.kz reports.
Sabalenka posted the apology in the stories on her Instagram page. "I want to clarify one moment from my recent match that is being discussed online. My remark was not directed at Elina. I was frustrated by the behavior of a small group of spectators who were aggressively celebrating my mistakes, and in that moment I reacted emotionally. That said, I should have handled my irritation differently, and I apologize to anyone I offended. Elina played a great match, and I wish her luck for the rest of the tournament," the tennis player wrote.
According to Sport-Express, during her losing group-stage match against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, Sabalenka lost her temper. Journalists read her on-court remarks from her lips and claimed that the former world No. 1 had used obscene language about Ukrainians. The politically incorrect outburst drew criticism in the media and on social media, as well as calls for sanctions.
Sabalenka lost that match and was eliminated from the tournament. Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, reached the final, where she will face Russia's Mirra Andreeva on November 15.
It is worth recalling that at last year's WTA Finals, Sabalenka was also involved in a scandal. Her ungracious words about a victory by Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina were also caught on the broadcast. After the final, Sabalenka said that "even a stick fires once a year."