WATCH: “But she is French!”- Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska refuses to shake hands with Russian-born French player Varvara Gracheva at Wimbledon, fans react

Gracheva obtained French nationality last year in June, but despite that, Yastremska chose not to do the handshake. 

WATCH: “But she is French!”- Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska refuses to shake hands with Russian-born French player Varvara Gracheva at Wimbledon, fans react

Dayana Yastremska refused to shake hands with Varvara Gracheva (Images via Imago, X)

Tennis fans saw an awkward moment unfold during the handshake time after the match between Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska and Russian-born Varvara Gracheva at the Wimbledon. In that match, Yastremska came on top in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-5). 

But following that, as the two approached the net, Gracheva, who has now changed her nationality, was waiting for the handshake but the 28th seed Yastremska refused. Gracheva obtained French nationality last year in June, but despite that, Yastremska chose not to do the handshake. 

YouTube video

Watch the video here:

FS Video

Many Ukrainian players are not shaking hands with Russian and Belarusian players following matches because of the ongoing war between the two countries. Because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian and Belarusian players are no longer competing under the flag and name of the two countries.

The worst thing is that you get too used to it. And this is very bad. Because most people forget what is going on there. We know about everything because we receive the news, we are reading, we are into it (but) the words are not hitting that hard like it was when the war just started. I think it’s important to remember it and do everything.
Dayana Yastremska said at the press conference during the 2024 Australian Open 

There was a lot of controversy around the no-handshake decision last year and there were even discussions about banning the players from Russia and Belarus. And in fact, Wimbledon banned them in 2022 before lifting it in 2023. 

Fans react after Dayana Yastremska refuses handshake with Varvara Gracheva

When the video surfaced on social media, fans started giving two reasons behind the no-handshake gesture by Dayana Yastremska. Some criticized Yastremska for her gesture, saying that Varvara Gracheva who is now a Frenchwoman, cannot change where she was born. On the other hand, some fans defended the Ukrainian by pointing out that she threw up several times during the match and, to avoid the spread of infection, she deemed it best not to shake hands with the Frenchwoman. 

Dayana Yastremska
Dayana Yastremska (Image via Imago)

Check their reactions here:

Before getting eliminated from Wimbledon, Gracheva secured an easy win over Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko. Yastremska, on the other hand, beat Nadia Podoroska in straight sets.

The 24-year-old is also playing doubles with Anhelina Kalinina and mixed doubles with Max Purcell. Yastremska will next face Donna Vekic for the seventh time on the WTA Tour. Both of them have 3–3 points in their head-to-head meetings, but Vekic has won all their three previous matches. 

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