Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka has voiced her disappointment over being booed off the court by Wimbledon fans after losing a thrilling match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. Svitolina has chosen not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players since the conflict in Ukraine began.
Azarenka respected Svitolina’s decision and acknowledged it by not attempting to shake hands at the net. However, it was Azarenka who faced jeers from the spectators as she left Court One. In response, Azarenka asked reporters, “What should I have done? Stayed and waited? She doesn’t want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people. I respected her decision.”
Despite the hostile reaction from the crowd, Svitolina won the match 2-6 6-4 7-6 (11-9) and advanced to the quarter-finals. Azarenka waved respectfully at Svitolina, who did not respond. As Azarenka walked off the court and heard the jeers, she paused, gesturing towards the spectators, seemingly questioning the negative reception.
Svitolina, who has faced similar reactions before, including being booed at the French Open, expressed uncertainty when asked about the British crowd’s response. She suggested that tennis organizations should issue a statement clarifying that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian players until the conflict in Ukraine is resolved.
Azarenka hoped that people would focus on the quality of the match rather than the controversies surrounding handshakes and crowd reactions. She emphasized that tennis is just a sport, stating, “It was a tennis match. Nobody’s changing lives here. We are playing tennis. We’re doing our jobs. That’s it.”
The incident highlights the intersection of sports and politics, as players’ actions and statements regarding geopolitical conflicts can elicit strong reactions from fans and spectators. It also raises discussions about sportsmanship and the role of tennis organizations in addressing these sensitive issues.
