Aryna Sabalenka found herself at the centre of an uncomfortable controversy at the WTA Finals, but this time, the attention had little to do with her tennis. A comment about the Belarusian star's appearance was accidentally picked up during a live broadcast, leaving viewers stunned. The clip quickly circulated online, prompting criticism of the broadcaster. As the backlash grew, beIN SPORTS France issued a public apology, with a senior executive condemning the remark and distancing the network from the incident.

Aryna Sabalenka faces appearance controversy as beIN SPORTS issues apology

The incident unfolded during Sabalenka's player introduction at the WTA Finals. As the camera focused on the World No. 2, an off-air conversation became audible to viewers watching the coverage. A commentator could be heard saying, “Look, look… she looks horrible.” The remark immediately attracted criticism after a clip surfaced on the tennis account Tiempo De Tenis. Another account, L’Arene, shared the footage and directly tagged beIN SPORTS France, demanding a response over the comment. Viewers questioned why a professional athlete's appearance had become a subject of discussion during an important tournament broadcast. The controversy soon reached the broadcaster's management. Florent Houzot, beIN SPORTS France's Director of Broadcast Operations, Programming, and Editorial, addressed the situation publicly. He expressed regret and strongly criticised the comments made during the coverage. “I regret and strongly condemn the remarks made live on air this evening during the WTA Finals broadcast,” Houzot said. He also stressed that the comments did not reflect the broadcaster's values and reaffirmed its commitment to respecting athletes and everyone involved in sports coverage. However, the identity of the commentator and any possible disciplinary action remain unconfirmed. The situation has drawn comparisons with another tennis broadcasting controversy from November 2024. Tennis Channel commentator Jon Wertheim faced criticism after making remarks about Barbora Krejcikova's forehead during WTA Finals coverage in Riyadh. Wertheim later apologised, while Tennis Channel removed him from its broadcasts indefinitely. The network also issued an apology to Krejcikova. There is no confirmation that beIN SPORTS will take similar action in Sabalenka's case.

Aryna Sabalenka defeats Karolina Muchova despite difficult WTA Finals start

Away from the controversy, Sabalenka had business to handle on court. The two-time Grand Slam champion opened her WTA Finals campaign with a 7-6(2), 7-5 victory over Karolina Muchova. It was far from an easy evening. Muchova broke Sabalenka early and even served for the opening set. However, the Belarusian recovered and dominated the tiebreak. The second set brought another challenge, with both players exchanging breaks before Sabalenka finally secured the victory. Her serve also caused problems. She recorded seven double faults and four aces, landing only 59% of her first serves. Explaining the difficult conditions, Sabalenka said, “It was a bit tricky with the sun [and] with the shade. Sometimes I had to adjust my toss, sometimes I had to serve blind, but it’s all part of the game,” Sabalenka said. The win gave her a positive start in her sixth consecutive WTA Finals appearance. Having finished runner-up in 2022 and 2025, Sabalenka remains determined to capture her first title at the season-ending tournament.