"I don't think the crowd understood": Robson believes Azarenka no handshake was 'totally fair' and respectful
WTAMonday, 10 July 2023 at 17:30
Former Britain tennis player Laura Robson believes that
Russia’s Victoria Azarenka did ‘nothing wrong’ by not shaking hands with Ukraine’s
Elina Svitolina after her Wimbledon round of 16 clash.
The former world number one Azarenka was booed by the crowd
for not having a handshake with the 28-year-old after suffering a defeat in the
fourth round of the third Grand Slam of the year on Sunday with a score of 2-6,
6-4, 7-6.
After the match, the two-time Australian Open winner, while
talking to the media, made her position clear that it was not her decision to
not have a handshake and that she just respected the wish of her opponent.
In response to that, Svitolina also made it clear that she does
not want to have a handshake with any player from Russia until every Russian
soldier will leave the soil of Ukraine.
Robson, while talking during the Eurosport’s Wimbledon coverage,
backed the two-time Grand Slam winner Azarenka and stated that she did nothing wrong and also suggested that the crowd misunderstood the whole situation.
"It was totally fair," said Robson. "I don't
think the crowd understood that Svitolina was never going to shake her hand. She
said 'thank you', went to her bag, did everything you thought she was going to
do if you follow tennis week in, week out.
"For the crowd to react like this, I don't think anyone
appreciated it - most of all Svitolina. That was an absolute battle of a
performance that both gave and for the match to be about anything other than
tennis is so disappointing.
"Azarenka did nothing wrong. For her to be talking
about that after the match rather than the tennis is so disappointing."
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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