Svitolina Responded To Sobolenko's Profanity-Laced Remarks
- 15.11.2026, 14:49
The Ukrainian tennis player responded in the most politically correct way possible.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina commented on the controversial behavior of Belarusian player Arina Sobolenko during their head-to-head match at the WTA Finals.
Earlier, fans and the media had drawn attention to an obscene remark by Sobolenko directed at Svitolina and/or Ukrainians, which she uttered during the match. From the movement of the tennis player’s lips, it was clear that she said in Russian: “Those f***ing Ukrainian b****es, f*** them!” or “That f***ing Ukrainian b****, f*** her!”
This incident caused a huge stir on social media, and Sobolenko had to defend herself. She essentially admitted that she used profanity directed at Ukrainians, but claims she was swearing at fans in the stands who were allegedly bothering her, and that the phrase supposedly had nothing to do with Svitolina.
Journalists asked Svitolina if she had noticed Sobolenko’s dissatisfaction with the fans’ behavior during the match, according to BTU. Elina responded as politically correctly as possible, deciding not to make a big deal out of the situation.
“As we can see, there are a lot of Ukrainians here, a lot of Ukrainian flags, and fans supporting Ukraine. And, of course, they want me to win this particular match. I think we’ve played Arina many times before. She always has her own fans, and I have mine. That’s why in every country, in every match we’ve played, the situation has been a little different,” Svitolina said.
The Ukrainian tennis player also stated that she had seen discussions of the incident on social media and expressed hope that her matches against Sobolenko would be treated with due respect.
“Yes, I’ve seen some of it, since it’s, of course, spreading on social media. But I just hope that the matches between us will be treated with the respect they deserve. After all, sometimes during our matches, I’ve also heard unpleasant comments directed at me related to the war. So yes, things like that happen. Sometimes things get a little twisted on social media. That’s why the situation is what it is,” Svitolina said.
This isn’t the first instance of inappropriate behavior by Sobolenko in a match against Svitolina. After their Australian Open semifinal match ended, TV cameras captured the Belarusian tennis player’s lips forming the phrase “f**k you,” directed at Svitolina.
It’s worth recalling that in 2020, Sobolenko signed a letter in support of dictator Alexander Lukashenko during the protests in Belarus.