Wimbledon won’t be making announcements on handshake etiquette despite booing

0 11 2 minutes read

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Wimbledon is staying out of the politics of handshakes.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine had urged tennis authorities to publicize that Ukrainians received’t be shaking arms with Russian and Belarusian gamers after matches — in order that followers don’t boo as a result of they suppose some gamers are being snubbed.

“We’ve no intention of doing that,” Wimbledon chief govt Sally Bolton mentioned Monday.

Followers on No. 1 Court docket booed Belarusian participant Victoria Azarenka after she didn’t go to the web to shake arms with Svitolina after the Ukrainian participant’s victory on Sunday.

Azarenka knew that Svitolina doesn’t shake arms with Russians and Belarusians — in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and as an alternative waved to her. She later mentioned she was making an attempt to be “respectful in the direction of her determination.”

Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus echoed Svitolina’s name for an announcement “so gamers is not going to go away courtroom with a lot hate. … It could be good for the group to truly know what’s occurring. There’s a purpose behind no handshake.”

Bolton, nonetheless, mentioned there received’t be any instruction to Wimbledon umpires to make bulletins about handshakes.

“Traditionally in tennis the choice on how a participant reacts on the finish of a match is totally a private determination for them and I believe we don’t actually need to begin mandating what occurs,” Bolton mentioned. “Now we have an extremely educated viewers at Wimbledon and I believe in essentially the most half they might perceive what was occurring. I wouldn’t need to speculate on what all people within the crowd was pondering final night time.”

On the French Open, it was the opposite method round for Ukrainian gamers. Marta Kostyuk was booed when she didn’t shake arms with Sabalenka. Svitolina mentioned she was additionally booed in Paris.

Russian participant Daniil Medvedev, who moved into the quarterfinals on Monday, mentioned Azarenka being booed was a “massive misunderstanding.” In an enormous crowd, he mentioned, there’s sure to be individuals who don’t know the main points.

“It’s a pity for positive for her that she received booed, and doubtless for no purpose,” the third-seeded Medvedev mentioned. “However I believe the individuals didn’t know the story behind it, and that’s why it occurred.”