A spot in the gold medal game is on the line when top-seeded Canada takes on Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey competition on Friday. The winner will take on the winner between the United States and Slovakia on Sunday. Canada advanced to the semifinals with a 4-3 overtime win over Czechia on Wednesday. Finland defeated Switzerland 3-2 in overtime in their quarterfinal.  

Canada enters as the -430 favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook, while Finland is at +330. The over/under in total goals is 5.5. Friday’s puck drop is set for 10:40 a.m. ET from Palaltalia, Milan. Before making any 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey semifinals picks or Olympic predictions, you need to see what Matthew Severance has to say.

Severance is coming off an outstanding NHL season in which he went 235-155-21 (plus $2,022). He entered the Olympic break on a 26-12 roll on NHL money-line picks this season, returning $1,326 for $100 players. Anyone following his hockey picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, Severance has turned his attention to Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey semifinals. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine.

New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $100 in bonus bets instantly at FanDuel if your first $5 bet wins:

2026 Winter Olympics Canada vs. Finland semifinal picks

For the 2026 Winter Olympics hockey semifinal between Canada and Finland, Severance is taking the Under 5.5 goals (-115) at 10:40 a.m. ET. The teams have met 27 times, with each team winning 13 games. The Fins hold an edge in total goals at 74-70. The teams have split each of the last six meetings.

Finland is 3-1 in the competition. After losing 4-1 to Slovakia, the Fins beat Sweden 4-1 and Italy 11-0 in Group B play, before beating Switzerland on Wednesday. Canada won Group A with a 5-0 win over Czechia, 5-1 win over Switzerland and 10-2 triumph over France, before beating Czechia in overtime in the quarterfinals. See his other picks at SportsLine.

New users can check out the latest Kalshi bonus code CBSSPORTS to get a $10 cash bonus after making $10 in trades:

How to make Olympics hockey Finland vs. Canada predictions

Severance also has puck line and analysis for the Finland vs. Canada semifinal matchup. You can only see his Olympic picks here.

So who wins the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey semifinal between Finland and Canada, and which puck line should you back? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey picks and best bets from a hockey insider, and find out.

The decision may not come soon because the man loves to bask in the spotlight of speculation, but new reporting suggests Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will retire — or is at least leaning that way, like never before.

Rodgers’ latest signal points to retirement, and it quietly lowers the temperature on Minnesota’s 2026 talk.

As a free-agent-to-be, Rodgers cannot be ruled out of the Minnesota Vikings’ QB1 plans, but the latest assertion from CBS Sports insinuates that the 10-time Pro Bowl is probably done for good.

Rodgers Retirement Buzz Changes Vikings Speculation

The longstanding Vikings-Rodgers rumor is on life support.

Aditi Kinkhabwala: Rodgers Leaning Toward Retirement

Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh this week, delivering the intel that Rodgers is likely on his way out.

“Having spoken to people who were around him, who have been around him, most everyone that I’ve spoken to who has been around him feels that the chance that he comes back to play is minuscule, so you take that for what it’s worth,” he told the show’s hosts.

“In conversations with people who were around him all year, who were with him when he was leaving the Steelers when the season was over, all of those people that I spoke to said that it seems far more likely that he is done than that he is going to return.”

Until Kinkhabwala’s declaration, most assumed that Rodgers would probably return to Pittsburgh for one last hurrah.

Last Year’s Rough and Tumble Vikings Rumor Mill

Ardent Vikings fans are no strangers to the Rodgers rumors. During the 2025 offseason, Rodgers and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell casually discussed what a relationship might look like, but no contract ever materialized.

Still, the possibility of Rodgers turning purple, fully effectuating the Brett Favre storyline — Packers to Jets to Vikings — was a real sentiment for about two months (March and April 2025) until Rodgers put pen to paper and signed with the Steelers.

Some were even insistent that Minnesota take the plunge with Rodgers, though it seemed former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah avoided the circus Rodgers would’ve brought to the Twin Cities. Then, when the Steelers lost in the postseason, and Rodgers refused to retire after the contest, a new set of miniature Rodgers-to-Minnesota rumors sprouted — would he take the plunge one year later?

The Kinkhabwala reporting suggests no.

Rodgers’ 2025 Season

Rodgers started 16 games for Pittsburgh in 2025, with his team posting a 10-6 record on his watch, while he personally threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a 65.7 completion percentage. The Steelers’ offense wasn’t overly dynamic, and Rodgers often played a game-manager role, as offensive coordinator Arthur Smith preferred a pretty low-octane approach.

All told, Rodgers ranked 21st of 34 qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE, sharing statistical space with passers like Tyler Shough and Jacoby Brissett.

Rodgers was basically serviceable — nowhere near his 2020 and 2021 MVP seasons.

Behind the Steel Curtain‘s Jarrett Bailey noted on the Steelers’ quarterback situation this week, “The Pittsburgh Steelers offseason revolves around what Aaron Rodgers decides to do. Should he decide to return for a 22nd NFL season, the Steelers have their quarterback. If he decides to retire or if he wants to play elsewhere, though, Pittsburgh will need to figure out who they will bring in at the position.”

“The only other two quarterbacks on the Steelers’ roster are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. There have been several names connected to the Steelers in terms of potential trades or free agent signings, such as Kyler Murray, Malik Willis, and Anthony Richardson.”

The Mike McCarthy Angle

The Steelers shockingly cut ties with Mike Tomlin last month after nearly two decades of service. His team never showcased a losing record and hadn’t won any playoff games in eons. In return, Pittsburgh hired Rodgers’s former coach in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy, a hire that stunned fans because McCarthy feels like a continuation of Tomlin — enough to fire up a 10-7 season or so but not a skipper known for Super Bowl success, outside of one title with the Packers 15 years ago.

At his introductory press conference, McCarthy stated that he’d love to have Rodgers back, which reduced the proliferation of the Rodgers rumor mill: if he didn’t retire, well, he’d likely return to Pittsburgh with McCarthy in charge.

McCarthy and Rodgers have shared a rollercoaster relationship, but they apparently made amends within the past few years.

McCarthy may not coach Rodgers again, though, as Kinkhabwala claims retirement is imminent.

That will also subtract Rodgers from the Vikings’ rumor mill. Rodgers will turn 43 in December.

On an afternoon when the Olympic record kept falling, Jordan Stolz skated fast enough to win the gold at any other Winter Games. Just not this one.

The 21-year-old American was foiled in his bid for a third gold medal in eight days on Thursday, winning silver in the 1500m in a time of 1:42.75 after lowering the Olympic marks in the 1000m last Wednesday and the 500m on Saturday and threatening to become only the second American to win more than two golds in any sport at a single Winter Games.

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China’s Ning Zhongyan was the surprise gold medalist, crossing in an Olympic-record time of 1:41.98sec – 0.77sec ahead of Stolz – after seizing the race with early aggression. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, the two-time defending Olympic champion in his final Winter Games, came in 0.84sec off Ning’s pace for the bronze to the delight of another Dutch-heavy crowd.

Related: ‘An Olympic miracle’: Twist in Conan Doyle’s skimo tale as Russian snares silver

For the 26-year-old Ning, already a bronze medalist in the men’s 1000m and the team pursuit, it was the first Olympic gold of his career and China’s first speed skating medal of these Olympics.

“When Jordan was skating in the last pair, I still did not think the gold was mine,” Ning said afterwards. “He has been in incredible form all season. Even after he crossed the line, I was still not completely sure. It was only when the result was confirmed that it started to sink in. It is an amazing feeling.”

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The 1500m in speed skating is known as the race of kings because it sits at the perfect crossroads of the sport’s demands. The race requires the raw pace of a sprinter and the endurance of a distance specialist, ruthlessly exposing any weakness in either facet.

Many of the sport’s greatest champions have claimed the 1500m title, making it a proving ground where the most complete skater earns the crown. Only three of the 30 men’s 500m medalists from 1988 through 2022 even skated the 1500m.

Dutch skater Joep Wennemars, perhaps hard-done in the 1000m, laid down the early marker from the 11th pair with an Olympic-record time of 1:43.05, setting off a wall of noise in the banks of orange-clad supporters.

Two heats later, while Stolz calmly made circuits on the inner warm-up lane, Ning lowered that mark with a brilliant display of front-foot skating, putting down second-best early splits of 22.99sec and 47.86sec before taking control at 1100m with a field-best 1:13.80 and never looking back. Nuis, skating head-to-head in the same pair, was fastest after 700m but his early aggression proved costly on the final lap.

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Stolz went off in the final pair, his introduction eliciting deafening roars from a crowd braced for history. What followed was almost conservative. He completed the opening lap ranked fifth at 300m (23.36), where he remained at 700m (48.82), never chasing the blistering early pace set by Ning and Nuis. He closed in 27.60, faster than Ning, and the quickest final lap among the medalists, but it proved too little too late.

He circled the oval slowly with his head bowed after his time flashed on the screen while Ning celebrated with his coaches before taking a victory lap wearing the Chinese flag as a cape. Wennemars finished fourth, despite briefly holding the best time in Olympic history, 0.26sec out of the medals.

“When I saw Ning’s [time], I thought that was really fast,” Stolz said. “I thought, ‘I can skate that time in Inzell, at the last World Cup.’ But here, that’s a really fast time.

“I just didn’t quite have the legs. The beginning part was a little slow. I thought I could maybe get it back, but I was just beginning to die off.

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“Ning had the race of his life. I didn’t have one of my best, but I am still happy with silver. I have two golds and I was actually really happy that Ning was able to pull it off. I really like Ning.”

Stolz entered the Olympics beneath immense expectations, already a seven-time world champion and the favorite here across three individual distances. Had he completed 500-1000-1500 treble – as he did at two of the past three world championships – he would have become the first male speed skater to win three golds at a Games since Norway’s Johann Olav Koss did so at the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994.

Stolz’s trajectory since Beijing 2022 has been meteoric. At 17 as an Olympic debutant, he finished 13th in the 500m and 14th in the 1000m. Four years later, he has won two golds and a silver with one last medal chance in Saturday’s mass start.

Raised in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, and developed at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Stolz has concentrated on blade setup, ice density and aerodynamic efficiency in pursuit of what he calls “free speed”. The Milan track – a temporary Olympic venue that has already produced some of the fastest times in Olympic history – has played into that mindset.

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Ning’s win on Thursday marked the seventh Olympic record of the competition after Francesca Lollobrigida in the women’s 3000m, Norway’s Sander Eitrem in the men’s 5000m, Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands in the women’s 1000m, Stolz in the 1000m and 500m, and Dutch star Femke Kok in the women’s 500m.

“After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the level in speed skating just kept getting higher and higher,” Ning said. “It felt like there was a mountain in front of me, and no matter what I did, I just could not get past it.

“But I never stopped believing in myself. I kept telling myself to stay patient, to keep putting in the work, to trust that all the effort would add up one day. Today was that day. Even now, it still feels a little unreal that I was able to do this.”

As this stage in the offseason, the top NFL free agent lists proliferate. The Vikings, despite a cap crunch that has yet to be resolved (at least publicly), are going to participate, if only in a modest manner.

But while adding talent is an exciting thing, Minnesota is encountering a discouraging reality: many of the top team fits could have been had for cheap. Indeed, we’re four years on from the disastrous 2022 NFL Draft, meaning the four-year rookie pacts are expiring. Many of the top names who look like nice fits belong to players who could have become Vikings players.

The Vikings Get Salt in the Wound

If you enjoy feeling sad, consider the draft picks just one more time:

• 1st Round, No. 32: Lewis Cine, Safety
• 2nd Round, No. 42: Andrew Booth Jr., Corner
• 2nd Round, No. 59: Ed Ingram, Guard
• 3rd Round, No. 66: Brian Asamoah, Linebacker
• 4th Round, No. 118: Akayleb Evans, Corner
• 5th Round, No. 165: Esezi Otomewo, Defensive End
• 5th Round, No. 169: Ty Chandler, Running Back
• 6th Round, No. 184: Vederian Lowe, Offensive Tackle
• 6th Round, No. 191: Jalen Nailor, Wide Receiver
• 7th Round, No. 227: Nick Muse, Tight End

Pretty stunningly, the ten-person draft class is most likely going to venture elsewhere without a single player signing a second deal to remain. Of the crew, Jalen Nailor is the lone success story; drafting a promising WR3 in the 6th is excellent work. Otherwise, that’s a tough first go at drafting.

Shrinking things down to just the opening five draft picks allows us to see some of the promising talent that’s now out there in NFL free agency.

On ESPN, Matt Bowen proposes team fits for a list of the top free agents. The Vikings get a single mention, getting linked to off-ball linebacker Nakobe Dean. Consider what could have been possible:

• 1st Round, No. 32: Lewis Cine, Safety <–> Kenneth Walker III, Running Back, Drafted at No. 41
• 2nd Round, No. 42: Andrew Booth Jr., Corner <–> Alontae Taylor, Corner, Drafted at No. 49
• 2nd Round, No. 59: Ed Ingram, Guard <–> Nakobe Dean, Linebacker, Drafted at No. 83
• 3rd Round, No. 66: Brian Asamoah, Linebacker <–> Leo Chenal, Linebacker, Drafted at No. 103
• 4th Round, No. 118: Akayleb Evans, Corner <–> Tariq Woolen, Corner, Drafted at No. 153

For whatever it’s worth, the Bowen piece sees Walker as the 18th FA, Taylor as the 12th FA, Dean as the 48th FA, Chenal as the 45th FA, and Woolen as the 14th FA.

Obviously, the fight isn’t particularly fair. No GM, no matter how excellent, can withstand a battle with hindsight. Reality takes place and mysteries get solved, making it easy to tell the future that is the past. There is, nevertheless, some point to the exercise.

There’s a case to be made that what the Vikings need right about now is a young, dynamic runner like Walker. A tall, lengthy corner like Woolen would be great, too. Linebackers Dean and Chenal would be an upgrade, just as Taylor would be perfect for how the secondary operates.

The Vikings are experiencing an off-field equivalent to mistakes on the field.

Consider, for instance, a snap where the defensive tackle doesn’t get into the gap he’s supposed to be in. As the runner breaks through that early lane, the linebacker then misses a tackle since he wasn’t expecting to need break toward that area of the field so dramatically. The safety then needs to take on a powerful runner with a ton of momentum, leading to a business decision that results in an uninspired effort to tackle.

The (fictional) scenario above is an example of how an early mistake at the line of scrimmage can ripple through the rest of the defense and play more broadly. So, too, can the same logic be applied to drafting.

The Vikings are currently in a cap mess largely due to spending so freely on free agents. Needing to spend so freely on free agents largely overflows from poor drafting, the place where young, cost-controlled talent is found. In other words, mistakes from 2022 don’t stay in 2022. Instead, these 2022 mistakes have a real impact on what’s occurring in 2026.

In football, everything is interconnected.

The point, folks, is not that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is solely to blame for all that ails Minnesota. There’s no way that’s true (or anywhere close to true; there’s a ton of blame to go around). Nor, in fact, is the argument that Minnesota should have been capable of drafting in accordance with the insights that only reality can provide. Such a threshold is impossible to clear.

Rather, the point is that the Vikings are now turning over couch cushions to (possibly) sign one or two strong talents when these same players had been available four years ago for the price of a draft pick, a rookie contract, and a roster spot. The Vikings can now have these players, but they do so after they’ve become older and more expensive.

Connecting on one or two of these picks would have made a massive difference for the present moment.

At a time when the Vikings feel stretched thin, the need to launch the cap version of a fundraiser for free agents who were there for the taking must feel like salt in the wound.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Who is Vladyslav Heraskevych?

In Pyeongchang in 2018, the Kyiv native became the first Ukrainian to compete in skeleton at the Winter Olympics. Heraskevych also competed in Beijing in 2022. After the third of four runs there, he held up a sign with the English inscription “No war in Ukraine” for the cameras at the finish line of the run. Thirteen days later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, Heraskevych has tirelessly used his sport to draw attention to the suffering of the people in Ukraine and to urge further strict sanctions against Russian sports. The skeleton racer was given the honor of being one of Ukraine’s flag bearers for the Milano Cortina Games’ opening ceremonies.

Heraskevych finished 12th in 2018 and 18th in 2022 but there had been some suggestions he would have been among the medal contenders this time.

What is his dispute with the IOC about?

Heraskevych wanted to wear his “helmet of remembrance” not only in training but also during the Olympic race in Cortina. It features images of Ukrainian athletes who were killed during Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers the helmet a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

Announcing his disqualification shortly before he was due to race on Thursday, the IOC said: “The decision followed his refusal to comply with the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression. It was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the rules.”

In 2020, the IOC Athletes’ Commission published guidelines on how to implement the relevant rule. According to these guidelines, athletes should only be allowed to express political views during the Olympic Games at press conferences, in interviews in the mixed zones, at team meetings, on social media or through media outlets.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference this week: “There are 130 conflicts going on in the world. We cannot have 130 different conflicts featured, however terrible they are, during the field of play, during the actual competition.”

Therefore, Heraskevych is allowed to express his political views outside of competition, but not during the race.

How have similar incidents been treated in the past?

United States figure skater Maxim Naumov displayed a picture of his parents, who died in a plane crash, after his short program on Tuesday evening in Milan, without any objections being raised. Heraskevych has previously pointed to the example of German weightlifter Matthias Steiner, who held up a photo of his deceased wife after his Olympic victory in Beijing in 2008.

According to the IOC, the cases are not comparable. The rules have evolved since 2008. Naumov’s behavior was “a very emotional, very human, spontaneous gesture,” according to IOC spokesman Adams: “In a sense it highlights what we are saying, this Ukrainian athlete, he can do the same.”

What happens to Heraskevych now?

The IOC initially said that he had, “with regret” been stripped of his accreditation for the Games and had to leave the Olympic Village immediately. It later rescinded that decision, saying the U-turn had come at the request of IOC President Kirsty Coventry.

Heraskevych told reporters at the track: “It’s hard to say or put into words. It’s emptiness.”  

Although any chance of a medal vanished when the competition starting without the Ukrainian, he has nevertheless appealed the decision to the Court of Administration for Sport, which was hearing his case on Friday. 

What have the reactions been?

Heraskevych has received support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On X, he wrote that it ​contradicted the spirit of the ​Games.

“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, ​and ‌the Olympic movement should help stop wars, ‌not play into the ‌hands ​of aggressors,” he wrote.

While the IOC have implemented the ban, Coventry had tears running down her face when she spoke of the decision. 

“No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging, it’s a powerful message, it’s a message of remembrance, of memory. The challenge was to find a solution for the field of play. Sadly we’ve not been able to find that solution” she said “I really wanted to see him race, It’s been an emotional morning.”

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Germany’s three-time Olympic luge gold medalist Felix Loch expressed regret at the decision.

“It’s a shame that he can’t fulfil his Olympic dream here,” Loch told the DPA news agency.

 “But the rules are clear. Now the matter has received more attention than if he had competed normally.”

Heraskevych, who has always been active in promoting his cause on social media posted a picture of him wearing the helmet with the phrase: “This is price of our dignity.”

This article was originally published in German and updated after Heraskevych was formally disqualified on February 12. 

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Sacramento State’s move into the MAC borders on (if not outright crossing into) desperation with a 5-year deal.

Are they just auditioning for the Pac-12?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I am joined by ‘Locked On Nebraska’ host Connor Happer to discuss the Cornhuskers’ schedule.

It’s a massive shift from 2025.

Colorado enters 2026 seeking a new outlook at quarterback (JuJu Lewis) and OC (Brennan Marion).

Will their schedule let them contend in the Big 12?

00:00 Sacramento State’s Football Appeal
05:54 Sacramento State’s Path to Elevation
07:09 Building Sacramento State’s Value
12:04 2025 Season Hopes and Setbacks
15:32 Tough Schedule, Key Iowa Game
19:36 Nebraska’s Quarterback Room Depth
28:16 Pressure Mounts Amid Struggles
31:16 Colorado’s Challenging Football Schedule

Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza, center, with teammates leaves the ground after Sri Lanka’s inning during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)

Captain Sikandar Raza said the strong group-stage run by the Zimbabwe at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has earned them respect, and he hopes the team can continue its run in the Super Eights against stronger opponents.Zimbabwe signalled their ability to challenge top teams by defeating Australia and Sri Lanka in Group B matches.“We keep our sights forward. If I keep our eyes on the present…I don’t think anyone gave us a chance. To win everyone’s hearts and respect, it is a good position to be in,” Raza said in the post-match presentation after his team’s win over SL.Zimbabwe now move into the Super Eights, where they will face reigning champions India, two-time champions West Indies cricket team, and 2024 finalists South Africa.But Raza said his side is not intimidated.Also read: Sikandar roars in Colombo: Zimbabwe stun Sri Lanka, fire warning shot at India
“We take one game at a time. We arrive on the 21st, and then train on the 22nd, and then it is show-time. Whatever happens, happens. If we can win two out of three games, who knows what can happen. Everyone loves an underdog story,” Raza added.Reflecting on the win over Sri Lanka, Raza said the hosts fell short of a defendable total.“When we lost the toss, all I said to the boys was if we are truly playing good cricket, why does the toss matter? I bowled, and said finger-spinners are not finding a lot of turn, so we can put them under pressure.“I came into the changing room and said they were 10 runs short (at the break). We have trained for every situation. We have the right personnel to send in at the right time. We have got all those roles clear and that is why you see the confidence in the changing room,” he said.For now, Raza said he wants to enjoy the team’s progress into the Super Eights.“We are unbeaten so far, but it is only the next game that comes into my head. Nice position to be in as a captain but I will try and enjoy at least tonight,” he said.

Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has come under fire for mingling with a Russian rapper who backs his country’s invasion of Ukraine. The conflict between the two countries has been going on since 2022, and its ramifications have been felt on the tennis courts as well.

Ukrainian tennis players have boycotted athletes from Russia as well as Belarus, refusing to engage in the traditional pleasantries due to their countries’ hand in the destruction of Ukraine. The International Tennis Federation has also banned Russia and Belarus from participating in the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup.

Sabalenka was naturally asked about her country’s support of Russia’s aggression. She took a pacifist stand and hoped for the war to end soon. However, her recent association with people who support Russia’s brutality may indicate otherwise.

Sabalenka was interviewed for the Bench podcast, part of the First & Red media house. The interview was filmed last month and has started doing the rounds now. The hosts were Russian rapper L’ONE, the alias of Levan Gorozia, and his brother Merabi. L’ONE allegedly admitted to supporting his country’s actions in Ukraine by providing them financial support, and hoping for their victory.

Sabalenka‘s association with those who support the war didn’t sit right with fans. They took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disappointment and frustration at her decision:

“May she never win another Slam again,” wrote one fan.

“lol she was never neutral… Posing with Lukashenko, celebrating with him,” posted another fan.

“Ban aryna Sabalenka from playing tennis,” expressed a fan.

“she’s such a loser jesus,” wrote a fan.

“Are we surprised?” chimed in another fan.

“fork found in the kitchen,” wrote one fan.

Sabalenka was also called out by Oleksandra Oliynykova during last month’s Australian Open. The latter cited her support of her country’s President as proof of her support for Russia’s hostility.

Aryna Sabalenka was one of the players publicly singled out by Oleksandra Oliynykova

Ukrainian tennis players have constantly used their platform to raise awareness about the brutal conditions they’re forced to live in since the war. Oleksandra Oliynykova, who made her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open 2026, didn’t hesitate to directly address her peers who allegedly support Russia.

Aryna Sabalenka allegedly supported Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian President, during the civil unrest in her country before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The government used its full might to crush peaceful protests, so it wasn’t a good look for her to side with those in power. Oliynynkova had a problem with this, and addressed it with an interview with L’Equipe during the Australian Open.

“I’m talking, for example, about the world number one (Aryna Sabalenka). Did you know that she signed the list supporting Lukashenko in 2020? During the protests in Belarus, when the streets were covered in blood because those who were demonstrating, defending democracy, and demanding fair elections were being repressed and beaten. Well, she signed it and declared that Lukashenko was her president,” Oliynykova said.

Sabalenka has time and time again repeated that she supports peace. She hasn’t competed anywhere since her loss to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, so any answers regarding her latest misstep will have to wait until her return at next month’s Indian Wells Open.