Victoria Azarenka angrily cross questions reporters over booing in Wimbledon after defeat to Elina Svitolina, explains her ‘fist action’
Azarenka was booed off court after her loss to Elina Svitolina, before she left the court with a parting fist gesture.
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Victoria Azarenka (Image via Reuters)
The Wimbledon round of 16 match between Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina has garnered attention beyond the match itself. After a thrilling encounter, Azarenka was unexpectedly booed off the court by spectators, reportedly for not shaking her opponent’s hand after the match. Azarenka’s frustration with the incident was palpable during her press conference after the match.
When asked how disappointed she was at the crowd’s treatment, she snapped back, “What do you think? What do you think how was the crowd?” The reporter guessed she wouldn’t be happy, but the World No. 20 demanded an answer. She continued: “No, but what do you think? How do you think that crowd was in the end? What’s your opinion?” When the reporter admitted that it was unfair, Azarenka added, “Hmm. I think we agree on that.”
Azarenka also spoke about her fist gesture toward the crowd in response to the booing. “I actually have no idea. I won’t even be able to duplicate what I did,” she said.
She spoke of her frustration with the reaction of the crowd, saying, “I can’t control the crowd. I’m not sure that a lot of people were understanding what’s happening, so… It’s probably been a lot of Pimm’s (a popular alcoholic drink) throughout the day. What we agreed on: it wasn’t fair. It is what it is. What can I do?”
Azarenka stated that she respects Svitolina’s refusal to shake hands
Azarenka was also quick to remark that Elina’s refusal to do a handshake (which had reportedly been agreed to by the players before the match) or the crowd’s behavior does not make her ‘a victim’. “Victim? Victim that somebody didn’t shake my hand? Please. I think we’ve got bigger (problems),” she said.
Despite the controversy surrounding the lack of a handshake, Azarenka maintained that she has always had a good relationship with Svitolina. Recognizing the unique circumstances and the players’ differing positions, Azarenka said, “She doesn’t want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people. I respected her decision. Like, I mean, there’s no thing that I could do that would have been right, so I just did what I thought was respectful towards her decision.”
Lasting nearly three hours, the match on Court 1 was highly competitive. Azarenka started strongly, taking the first set with a score of 6-2. However, Svitolina fought back and managed to secure the second set, leveling the match at one set apiece. The intensity reached its peak in the third set, which required a match tiebreak. In a dramatic, Svitolina emerged victorious with a score of 7-6 (11-9).
Svitolina is now set to face the top seed Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
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Ketan Kunkalikar
(129 Articles Published)