Sabalenka apologises & says viral comment ‘not directed at Svitolina’
According to BBC Sport, world number two Aryna Sabalenka has apologised after a viral video showed her swearing in Russian during her 6-3 3-6 6-1 defeat by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. While some interpreted the comments as an insult towards Svitolina or Ukrainians, Sabalenka stated on social media that her reaction was not directed at her opponent, but rather at a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering her mistakes. She admitted she should have handled her frustration differently and apologised to anyone offended, while wishing Svitolina well for the rest of the tournament. Ukrainian players maintain a policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players due to the ongoing invasion of their country.