Sabalenka agrees with Svitolina's solution to handshake booing: "So players won't leave the court with so much hate"
WTATuesday, 11 July 2023 at 08:45
Aryna Sabalenka is into the Quarter-Final of 2023 Wimbledon after taking down Ekaterina Alexandrova with absolute ease on Monday afternoon.
Sabalenka who has previously lost to Alexandrova on this surface, one that usually the Russian excels on ripped away any hope with an emphatic 6-4, 6-0 win.
Despite saying she wouldn't talk about politics pre tournament, Sabalenka did answer surrounding her compatriot Azarenka being booed in her defeat to Elina Svitolina.
Svitolina offered up the potential solution of the organisations (ITF, ATP, WTA and Grand Slams) releasing a statement saying there wouldn't be a handshake to educate those who don't know.
The perceived notion is that many in the crowd aren't aware of the reasoning surrounding it so boo thinking it's unsportsmanlike.
"That’s a really tough situation. As Elina said, someone has to come out on social media with an announcement that there won’t be a handshake so players won’t leave the court with so much hate," she said.
While Azarenka said that potentially they were too drunk and had too much Pimms which was rejected as a reason by Chief Executive, Sally Bolton in a press conference on Monday morning.
But she also said that they couldn't control what the crowds do ruling out potentially releasing a statement and pointing out that usually fans are well behaved.
Barring this one occasion where Azarenka felt the brunt of it after an epic match, but the debate will likely swirl on with Roland Garros also encountering the same issue two months ago.
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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