During the American WTA tournament series, it was decided that during matches between representatives of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, the public should be informed that the athletes do not plan to shake hands after the game. This decision was made in an effort to reduce public boos and criticism.
“I’m so sick of talking about it. I hope such an announcement can finally put an end to these conversations. But if I have to play with Kalinina, then I don’t know. We shook hands when we met on court in adelaide this year.
I think that’s a clear message – it’s a personal decision of Ukrainian tennis players. This is not a standard situation. I wouldn’t do that, but I have no right to judge.
I respect someone else’s decision, but for sport this is not a standard situation. As I have said more than once, I respect and accept the other player’s decision.
I think if it helps the audience understand the situation, then maybe it’s informative. I don’t know.
As I said earlier, I don’t think handshakes have a strong influence on the course of events. In my opinion, it’s not that important, but I respect the choice of others,” Azarenka commented during a press conference.
Earlier, Victoria Azarenka noted that the decision to inform that a handshake was not planned at matches between Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians was taken a year and a half late.
- Became Medvedev’s first opponent at the Toronto tournament
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Source: Sport
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
