"The fans booing Dasha is absolute stupidity": Tennis fans fume as French Open spectators boo Kasatkina for no handshake despite firm stance
WTAMonday, 05 June 2023 at 21:21
Elina Svitolina continued her superb run at Roland Garros with victory over Daria Kasatkina on Sunday evening.
But the crowd again copped controversy for their handling again of a lack of handshake between Russians and Ukrainians.
Ever since Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka in the first round, most players have been booed for not doing so.
This drew the ire of tennis fans especially given Daria Kasatkina's stance on the war and speaking out against it.
'French crowd aren't just vile, they are dumb'
Kasatkina also known as Dasha was dubbed a foreign agent after speaking out against the regime with her own personal issues also stemming from the handling of her coming out as gay last year.
Before their match, Svitolina spoke in depth about her appreciation for Kasatkina in particular for speaking out against her home country and called her 'brave'.
Kasatkina didn't force the issue after the match and simply gave Svitolina a thumbs up in a show of respect which Svitolina due to the stance of Ukrainians was never going to reciprocate.
Booing followed and many showed their displeasure at this.
One user wrote: "The fans booing Dasha is absolute stupidity. There was never gonna be a handshake even though she's taken a firm stance against the Russian Government."
"I don’t even like, AT ALL, but why boo the person who who is willing to shake hands? French crowd aren’t just vile, they are dumb."
Another reiterated the point but also confirmed that Mary Carillo on NBC also showed her displeasure at the crowd's reaction and said that if it was Daniil Medvedev, the same wouldn't happen.
Svitolina's next opponent will be confirmed tomorrow ahead of the Quarter-Finals.
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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