Aryna Sabalenka warned she MUST be fined for WTA Finals outburst as Federer and Fognini precedents emerge
Prominent tennis journalist Jon Wertheim believes the WTA “must” fine Aryna Sabalenka following her angry outburst during her loss to Elina Svitolina.
Sabalenka exited the WTA Finals at the round-robin stage on Friday after losing to Svitolina in three sets, as she brought the curtain down on a disappointing year.
A day on from that loss, the former world No 1 took to Instagram to apologise after footage appeared to show her swearing in Russian, with some claiming it was directed at her opponent and Ukrainians in general.
Sabalenka denied this and said, “My comment was not directed at Elina. I was frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering my mistakes, and I reacted emotionally in the moment. That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologise to anyone I offended.”
Svitolina, who is among a contingent of Ukrainian tennis stars who refuse to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, responded by saying she hopes any future matches between the two are “respected”.
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Now, journalist Wertheim, who is a co-host of Andy Roddick’s Served podcast, believes that Sabalenka needs to be fined after allegedly confirming those “vile, indefensible” remarks. He also called for the proceeds from the fine to go to a Ukrainian charity.
He wrote on X on Saturday, “Lot of you writing about Sabalenka and @wta. Now that she’s effectively confirmed those vile, indefensible remarks.
“A) The WTA *MUST* fine her. (The code even alludes to obscene/derogatory remarks made to fans, not just officials and opponents). B) The $$ should be earmarked to a Ukrainian charity.”
Lot of you writing about Sabalenka and @wta . Now that she’s effectively confirmed those vile, indefensible remarks.
A) The WTA *MUST* fine her. (The code even alludes to obscene/derogatory remarks made to fans, not just officials and opponents).
B) The $$ should be earmarked to a Ukrainian charity.— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) November 14, 2026
Many players have been fined for audible obscenities in the past. However, they usually have to be loud enough to be heard by officials, opponents, or spectators at the time.
Fines for such indiscretions tend to range from $3,000 to $5,000, which is typically less than racket-abuse penalties. Indeed, in Sabalenka’s US Open final loss to Elena Rybakina, the 28-year-old was fined $7,500 for doing such an act.
This came after she incurred a ball-abuse warning and an audible obscenity citation in that showpiece match at Flushing Meadows.
In years gone by, Nick Kyrgios was fined $5,000 for audible obscenities against Jannik Sinner at the 2022 Miami Open, and the same happened the tournament prior versus Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells.
Back at the Australian Open in 2020, Roger Federer was fined $3,000 for an audible obscenity during his quarter-final win over Tennys Sandgren.
At the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, Fabio Fognini was given a retrospective fine after saying in Italian that he wished a “bomb” would explode at the tournament during his third-round loss to Sandgren.
The outburst wasn’t punished during the contest, but it was picked up by broadcast audio, and when that was translated, tournament officials and the Grand Slam board reviewed the incident.
The Italian was later fined $3,000 for his actions, and although a ban was mooted, that did not come to pass, with Fognini later going on to apologise. Whether Sabalenka faces a similar sanction remains to be seen.
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