'She's Horrible': beIN Sports Apologizes After Hot Mic Catches Commentator Mocking Sabalenka at WTA Finals

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — French broadcaster beIN Sports apologized after one of its commentators, apparently believing he was off air, insulted Aryna Sabalenka's appearance during live coverage of the WTA Finals. The clip spread quickly online and drew wide criticism.

The incident happened Monday, the opening day of the season-ending tournament at Indian Wells, California, shortly before Sabalenka's group-stage match against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.

As the broadcast returned from a commercial break, beIN Sports France aired a promotional clip from Sabalenka's official tournament photo shoot, showing the Belarusian in street clothes. While the clip played, a commentator could be heard reacting to the world No. 2.

"Look, look, look, she's horrible," he said in French, according to video shared on social media.

The commentator appeared to believe his microphone was off, but the remark went out live to viewers in France.

Clip spreads, broadcaster responds

The tennis account L'Arène posted the clip on X, called the remark shameful and tagged beIN Sports France and Florent Houzot, the network's director of channels, programming and editorial. The account also flagged the incident to Arcom, France's audiovisual and digital regulator. Other viewers contacted the regulator as well, asking for an explanation.

The video spread on social media in several languages. A clip shared by the Spanish-language account Tiempo De Tenis drew more attention, and outlets in France, Switzerland, Poland, South Korea and the United States reported on it.

Houzot responded on X later that evening.

"I regret and strongly condemn the remarks made live on air this evening during the WTA Finals broadcast," Houzot wrote in French. "These comments do not represent the values of beIN SPORTS. I reaffirm our commitment to the respectful treatment of all athletes and contributors on our channels."

The network did not publicly name the commentator and has not said whether he will face any disciplinary action. Sabalenka has not publicly commented on the remark.

Awkward timing for beIN

The incident came on a significant day for beIN Sports' tennis business. Hours earlier, the network announced that it had acquired broadcast rights to the ATP Tour starting in January 2028, including nine Masters 1000 tournaments, the ATP 500 events and the Next Gen ATP Finals. Those rights add to its coverage of the women's tour.

Swiss outlet 20 Minutes called the timing poor, noting that the remark came just hours after the network made a major commitment to the sport.

Sabalenka answers on court

Sabalenka began her bid for a first WTA Finals title by beating Muchova 7-6 (2), 7-5 in nearly two hours. Muchova, a Wimbledon finalist this year, led 5-4 in the first set before Sabalenka took the tiebreaker and then closed out the match.

The 28-year-old from Minsk is one of the most successful players of her generation, with several Grand Slam titles, and has spent long stretches at No. 1 in the rankings. She is known for her powerful baseline game and for a lighthearted social media presence that has made her one of the most popular players on the tour.

The WTA Finals bring together the top eight singles players of the season for round-robin group play. The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.

A familiar problem in sports broadcasting

Commentators being caught on open microphones is a recurring problem in sports broadcasting, and many such cases have involved comments about women athletes. Swiss newspaper Le Matin described this one as a blunder "as old as the world" that still happens regularly.

Critics online said remarks about a player's looks are especially damaging in women's sports, where athletes have long complained that coverage focuses on appearance rather than performance. Many said the comment was not only unprofessional but sexist, since it came while a top athlete was being introduced before a major match.

French media have increasingly scrutinized sexist remarks in sports broadcasting in recent years, and Arcom has the authority to review complaints about content aired on French television. It was not immediately clear whether the regulator would open a review.

What's next

Sabalenka continues group play later this week as she tries to win the season-ending championship. BeIN Sports will keep broadcasting the tournament in France.

The network has not said whether the commentator will continue working on its WTA Finals coverage. For now, beIN's response is limited to Houzot's public statement condemning the remarks and restating the network's commitment to treating athletes with respect.