Elina Svitolina talks honestly about her ‘war comments’ and asks for respect after Aryna Sabalenka’s apology
Elina Svitolina, who ended Aryna Sabalenka’s season at the WTA Finals, has responded warmly to Sabalenka’s apology and addressed the viral clips of the Belarusian’s angry outburst.
After footage showed Sabalenka losing her temper during their match, which quickly spread online and led to her apologizing, Svitolina shared her thoughts. She asked fans to respect the matches between them and recognized that some tough comments about the war have been made.
Svitolina beat Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at Indian Wells, ending Sabalenka’s season and securing her own place in the WTA Finals semi-finals. The clips showed Sabalenka gesturing angrily and using strong language, which made some viewers wonder if it was directed at Svitolina or Ukrainians in general.
Tensions are often high between Russian or Belarusian players and Ukrainian athletes on the tour, especially because some, like Svitolina, avoid handshakes or pre-match photos in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
As reported by BBC Sport, Svitolina said she had seen the clips and hopes fans show respect during their matches. “There are so many Ukrainians and flags cheering for me, and of course they want me to win,” said the 32-year-old, who hadn’t beaten Sabalenka in six years until now. “We both have supporters, and I just hope our matches are respected.”
She also mentioned that some comments about the war have been said during their matches and on social media, which sometimes twists the story a bit. This comes as Svitolina has been making headlines for personal reasons as well, like her recent split from Gael Monfils.
Next, Svitolina will play Mirra Andreeva, who helped end one of Sabalenka’s unfortunate streaks, at the WTA Finals. Earlier, Svitolina beat Linda Noskova in the semi-finals of the event.
Sabalenka took to social media to explain that her angry comment wasn’t aimed at Svitolina but was a reaction to some fans at Indian Wells who cheered loudly when she made mistakes. “I got frustrated with a small group of fans who cheered aggressively against me,” she said. “I reacted emotionally, but I should have handled it better and I’m sorry to anyone who was offended.”
Svitolina also pointed out what led to Sabalenka’s tough 2026 season, marking her first without a Grand Slam win since 2022.
Aside from competition, Svitolina now has a chance to earn a big prize against Andreeva at the Finals, even though the total prize money was cut by 35% after the tour’s deal with Saudi Arabia ended early.
For more, check out updates on other players like Elena Rybakina, who missed out on a big payday after withdrawing from the WTA Finals.