The WTA respected the decision of the Ukrainians not to shake hands with the Russians
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The press service of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) officially stated that the sports organization respects the decision of Ukrainian athletes not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian rivals.
During the quarterfinal match of Wimbledon, which took place on Sunday, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina defeated Victoria Azarenka with a score of 2:6, 6:4, 7:6 (11:9). At the end of the game, both athletes did not shake hands. In addition, the Belarusian tennis player was even booed by the spectators of the match.
Svitolina subsequently said that the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the WTA should issue a statement supporting the decision of Ukrainian players not to congratulate Russian and Belarusian athletes after matches.
The WTA Press Office expressed its position in an official statement posted on Twitter, which reads: “In light of the unfortunate events and misunderstandings that occurred during yesterday’s match at Wimbledon (as well as in other matches in recent weeks), the WTA wishes to clarify the position regarding post-match “Due to the current military situation, the WTA respects the decision of Ukrainian athletes who do not wish to practice the traditional handshake with rivals from Russia and Belarus. This is their personal decision.”
Earlier, Svitolina also called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to prevent Russian and Belarusian tennis players from participating in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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