In her previous match, Elina Svitolina refused to shake hands with Victoria Azarenka
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) gave an official comment on the position of Ukrainian tennis players who refuse to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian athletes.
“Following the unfortunate circumstances and misunderstandings at Wimbledon (along with other matches over the past few weeks), the WTA would like to be clear on post-match handshakes.”
“In connection with the ongoing shameful war, the WTA respects the position of Ukrainian athletes in abandoning the tradition of shaking hands with rivals (from Russia and Belarus) at the end of the match, as this is a personal decision. We have some of the best fans in the world and we are grateful for their passion and dedication, as well as their understanding and respect for the athletes.”
Earlier, the former first racket of Ukraine Elina Svitolina refused to shake hands with Victoria Azarenka after the match of the 1/8 finals of Wimbledon 2023. Elina stressed that she did not intend to shake hands with tennis players representing Russia and Belarus.
Svitolina got a strong-willed victory over Azarenka in three sets. In the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2023, Svitolina will meet with the first racket of the world, Iga Sventek from Poland.
Source: Sportarena
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