Victoria Azarenka didn't leave the 2023 Wimbledon in the way she wanted, and it wasn't just because of the loss to Elina Svitolina.
The 33-year-old started the match of two mothers really well, but ultimately, Azarenka lost in three sets to an inspired Svitolina who is making a major comeback to the WTA Tour after giving birth just recently.
Ahead of the match, the Ukrainian announced that she won't be shaking her opponent's hand since she comes from Belarus, something that has been done by Ukrainian players for quite some time already.
"And my position is the same. I'm not shaking hands with the Russian and Belarusian players, and hopefully also, this will be nothing new for them."
At the 2023 Roland Garros, Svitolina was booed by the French crowd after she didn't shake hands with another Belarusian, Aryna Sabalenka, but the British crowd showed this kind of disagreement toward Azarenka at the 2023 Wimbledon.
Following their match, Azarenka acknowledged her opponent's stance and didn't even attempt to initiate a handshake, something her compatriot Sabalenka was criticized for in Paris after she approached the net.
Azarenka's gesture was really respectful, acknowledging her opponent and not making things more dramatic than needed. However, already when she went to her chair, some light boos were heard from the crowd.
Yet, it wasn't until the Belarusian started leaving the court, that a bigger portion of the audience started booing, something she clearly didn't understand as she stopped for a second. Daria Kasatkina experienced the same thing in Paris, and the Russian was really disappointed by the way the crowd acted.
Obviously, Azarenka also wasn't thrilled, leaving disappointed not just by the loss but also by the crowd's reception. It's certainly something the Belarusian did not deserve, given her respectful approach to the opponent's stance.
0 Comments