In a recent turn of events at Wimbledon 2023, a controversy has unfolded involving Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina. Svitolina, hailing from Ukraine, has chosen not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players after matches.
The incident that brought attention to this issue occurred on No. 1 Court when Azarenka, a Belarusian player, refrained from shaking hands with Svitolina following the Ukrainian player’s victory. Azarenka’s gesture of waving as a sign of respect for Svitolina’s decision was met with significant disapproval from the crowd, who were unaware of the motivation behind her action.
Svitolina believes it is important for tennis authorities to inform the public about this decision to prevent fans from misunderstanding and assuming intentional snubs. Supporting Svitolina’s call for transparency, Aryna Sabalenka emphasized the need for an official announcement to clarify the situation to prevent players from leaving the court amidst an atmosphere of animosity.
Azarenka Breaks Silence on Being Booed at Wimbledon 2023 Amidst Handshake Controversy
Following the incident, Azarenka addressed the crowd’s behavior in a press conference, expressing disappointment and referring to some members of the audience as being drunk. Now, she had a different approach with a message posted on her Twitter account.
“Hi everyone! Took a few days to digest the last few weeks. There is a lot I could say, but the feeling and thought I keep having is, when something great happens to us we usually have gratitude and say thank you. When something unpleasant happens to us we ask why and usually the thank you comes later when we see the reason why after the fact. Whatever happens, happens for a reason (I really believe that) And I want to say thank you and I’ll continue being grateful for the experiences…”, Azarenka wrote.
