LONDON | Ukrainian Elina Svitolina believes that the organizations that manage professional tennis should rule that there will be no more handshakes at the net between players from her country and Russians, as well as Belarusians, as long as the war is over. will not be completed.
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Sunday night at Wimbledon the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka was accompanied on leaving court 1 by the whistles of the spectatorsafter losing in the round of 16 to Svitolina.
Azarenka, a former world No. 1, did not show up at the net for post-match congratulations, knowing full well that her rival, who has made it clear that she will no longer shake hands with players from both countries who invaded Ukraine, would not go either.
Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina did not show up at the net for the traditional post-match greetings on Sunday. Azarenka, however, greeted the Ukrainian with a wave of her hand.
Photo Reuters
“I don’t know if it’s clear to people, wondered Svitolina, Sunday, at a press conference. Some people don’t understand what’s going on [sur le terrain]. So I think that would be the right way to go.”
“A personal decision”
It would seem, however, that Wimbledon will not get involved, despite the boos that Azarenka suffered, who still greeted his opponent with a wave of his hand.
“Historically in tennis the decision on how a player reacts at the end of a match is a personal one. We don’t want to start creating an obligation,” tournament director Sally Bolton said at a press conference on Monday.
Svitolina is not the only Ukrainian who has opted out of shaking hands with her Russian and Belarusian rivals. His compatriot Marta Kostyuk was also ignored in his early loss against Aryna Sabalenka in Paris, last month, which had earned him … whistles from the crowd.
more pressure
Russians and Belarusians are back at Wimbledon, a year after being banned from the All England Club due to the war. A decision that Svitolina, former member of the top 3 in the world, deplores.
They are also doing quite well there: they will be four in the quarter-finals in singles, namely Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Roman Safiullin, Denis Shapovalov’s fourth-round knockoutSunday.
Elina Svitolina sits down after beating Victoria Azarenka in a close match at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Photo: AFP
Very moved after her victory against Azarenka, Svitolina admitted on Sunday feeling additional pressure when she faces a player from one of these two countries.
“I feel a certain responsibility, too. This is why these victories are worth dear to me”, mentioned the Ukrainian.
–With AFP