Svitolina beats Sabalenka at WTA Finals, but rival lets slip a crude slur

Elina Svitolina secured a crucial victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the decisive match of the group stage of the WTA Finals. This win not only guaranteed the first-ranked player of Ukraine a place in the semi-finals but also marked her first victory against her Belarusian rival in the past six years.

Match progression and result

The contest in the third round of the group stage proved to be extremely tense. The match lasted three sets: Svitolina confidently won the first, but conceded the second. In the deciding set, the Ukrainian left her opponent with no chances, finishing the encounter with a score of 6:3, 3:6, 6:1. This triumph allowed the Ukrainian to break her losing streak and secure a ticket to the next stage of the competition.

Scandal on the court

In addition to the sporting result, Aryna Sabalenka’s behaviour attracted public attention. Throughout the match, the Belarusian tennis player displayed irritation, reacting nervously to both her opponent’s successes and her own mistakes. However, one episode went beyond the accepted norms of sports ethics.

According to a video recording circulated in Ukrainian tennis circles, after one of the lost rallies, Sabalenka broke into shouting at Svitolina. Based on lip-reading, the tennis player shouted a crude, obscene slur in Russian at the Ukrainian: «Йо**на су*а українська на**й» (You are a f***ing Ukrainian b***h).

Although it is difficult to identify every word with 100% certainty based solely on articulation, the nature of the outburst was openly hostile and offensive, directed directly at the Ukrainian athlete. This incident caused a resonance online after the moment was captured by television cameras.