The tremendous reason why there won't be a photoshoot of the tennis players at the 2026 WTA Finals
Total unrest in women's tennis for various reasons, now compounded by the cancellation of the traditional photoshoot that takes place before all editions of the WTA Finals. It usually generates significant media interest among fans and the press to see how the eight best players in the world pose in their best outfits, but this year it will not be possible.
Tensions are high in Indian Wells, and it has been reported that the reason for not having this photoshoot is that Elina Svitolina has refused to share space with Mirra Andreeva and Aryna Sabalenka. The Ukrainian remains consistent with the situation in her country and her actions throughout these years of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Este año no habrá foto grupal de las participantes de las WTA Finals ya que, parece ser, Svitolina habría rechazado posar en la misma foto con rusas y bielorrusas por el conflicto bélico activo entre Rusia y Ucrania.
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) November 5, 2026
Svitolina has refused to pose with Andreeva and Sabalenka
She believes it is unfeasible for her to appear in any shared space with a Russian and a Belarusian, whom she considers complicit in what their governments are doing in Ukraine. Therefore, we are left without this photograph due to the armed conflict that erupted more than four years ago and continues to affect the lives of so many people and cause deaths every day.
It should be noted that among the substitutes in these WTA Finals 2026 is also Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, one of the most outspoken in labeling all Russian and Belarusian players as complicit in Putin's aggression against her country. This tournament is shaping up to be quite eventful due to this controversy and others, such as Pegula's comments about Andreeva. It's impossible to get bored with women's tennis.
If you think there won't be a group photo at the WTA Finals because of Elina Svitolina, you're wrong. There won't be one because of the presence of players from Russia and Belarus - two countries that continue to kill Ukrainians and destroy our country. Every single day. Systematically. Deliberately. That's why there won't be a group photo.
— Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) November 5, 2026
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El tremendo motivo por el que no habrá posado de las tenistas en las WTA Finals 2026