#Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka ‘lost my mind’ in strange handshake controversy

This is not the way Aryna Sabalenka wanted to end her run in Montreal.

The top-seeded Sabalenka lost 6-3. 6-4 to Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals of the hard court event. Sabalenka tossed her racket away in disgust while approaching the net and then offered a brief handshake some considered disrespectful.

“My behavior today was not professional. I want to apologize for this,” Sabalenka wrote on an Instagram story, according to News.com.au.

“@KarolinaPliskova was better today.. PS sorry for that handshake … I just completely lost my mind in that moment.”

Sabalenka added a face palm emoji for emphasis.

“I’m quite calm. Of course I have some nerves and emotions but I try not to show it that much,” Pliskova said after the win. “There is a lot of things happening on the court but I think the main thing is just to have a goal and follow that goal.”

Pliskova would be upset by Camila Giorgi in the finals, 6-3, 7-5. The hard court season continues to rev up ahead of the US Open, which begins Aug. 30.