In a dramatic turn of events at Wimbledon, former world No. 1 and two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka was met with boos from the crowd at No. 1 Court after a lack of handshake at the net in her fourth-round loss to Elina Svitolina. Both players addressed the incident in their post-match press conferences, attributing the negative reaction to a misunderstanding among the spectators.
Svitolina, who hails from Ukraine, publicly declared her refusal to shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus due to the ongoing conflict in her homeland. Azarenka, who represents Belarus, expressed her acceptance of Svitolina’s decision and followed suit at the conclusion of the match. Despite not engaging in a traditional handshake, Azarenka offered a congratulatory wave from her chair to Svitolina.
Azarenka acknowledged the crowd’s disapproval and commented on the situation, stating, “What can I say about the crowd? There is nothing to say. She doesn’t want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people. I respected her decision. What should I have done? Stayed and waited? Like, I mean, there’s no thing that I could do that would have been right, so I just did what I thought was respectful towards her decision.” She also suggested that the audience may have been unaware of Svitolina’s stance and speculated that alcohol consumption could have contributed to the hostility.
As Azarenka left the court, she clenched her fists in response to the crowd’s reaction. When asked about the gesture, she admitted, “I don’t know… I have no idea. I won’t even be able to duplicate what I did.” This further adds to the perplexity surrounding the incident.
Call for Tennis Organizations to Clarify Handshake Protocol
Svitolina revealed that she has faced angry responses from crowds in previous tournaments due to her refusal to engage in handshakes, including at the recent French Open. She called upon tennis organizations to issue a statement clarifying that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian players. Svitolina emphasized the importance of educating spectators about the underlying reasons behind this decision.
“I think the tennis organizations, they have to come out with a statement that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian players,” Svitolina urged. “I don’t know if it’s maybe not clear for people. Some people not really know what is happening. So I think this is the right way to do [it].”
Svitolina speculated that the crowd’s reaction might have been similar if she had been the one to lose the match. Despite the controversy, Svitolina’s focus remains on her impressive performance at Wimbledon. Having returned from maternity leave in April, she is now set to compete in her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. Her upcoming match against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Tuesday holds the promise of securing her second career Wimbledon semifinal appearance.
The lack of a handshake between Azarenka and Svitolina at Wimbledon sparked a wave of disapproval from the crowd. While the players asserted that the incident arose from a misunderstanding, the controversy highlights the importance of clarifying handshake protocols and educating spectators about the geopolitical tensions that can influence players’ decisions on the court. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Svitolina as she strives to advance to the semifinals and Azarenka as she navigates the aftermath of the incident.
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