"We aren't in a position where we can control crowds": Wimbledon chief also shoots down Azarenka boo claims that fans were 'too drunk'
Tennis NewsMonday, 10 July 2023 at 14:03
Wimbledon Chief Executive, Sally Bolton took in a press conference on Monday morning amid the storm that took place surrounding Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina on Court One.
What was a superb tie descended into chaos as fans booed Azarenka for not giving Svitolina a handshake as was the prerogative of the Ukrainian.
Many rallied behind Azarenka and Svitolina saying that potential statements are needed from the tournament to address the handshakes but Bolton dispelled that notion.
She said they can't control the crowds and they are usually respectful towards players despite the theme seen at Roland Garros of almost jumping on the bandwagon in booing.
“We aren't in a position where we can control the crowds here at Wimbledon. We traditionally have a hugely respectful crowd here and I expect that we will continue to see that as we head into the rest of the tournament," said Bolton.
“I think I would echo what Elina and Vika said last night: having witnessed one of the most incredible matches on No 1 Court to an absolutely rapt audience, we should be focusing on the tennis and the match that we saw, not all of the other stuff that went on.”
Azarenka claimed that fans were quite drunk and said: "It's probably been a lot of Pimms throughout the day."
But this was something Bolton denied during the press conference today.
“That's not an issue that we recognise. What I would say is what we all saw in that match was an extremely high intensity well-matched contest that had the crowd absolutely on the edge of their seats. So the atmosphere in there was incredible. And that was driven by the quality of what they were seeing on the court.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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