Aryna Sabalenka respects Ukrainian players’ decision amid handshake controversy
Aryna Sabalenka has declared her respect for Ukrainian players’ ongoing refusal to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents, describing it as “their decision” following her straight-sets triumph over Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open, reports BritPanorama.
The world No 1 defeated the 12th seed 6-2 6-3 in Thursday’s semi-final, a match notable for the absence of a post-match handshake, a stance Ukrainian players have maintained since the onset of the war in Ukraine nearly four years ago.
Post-match statements from tournament organisers highlighted their proactive measures to manage potential crowd reactions. Announcers addressed spectators twice, requesting their understanding of the situation, specifically mentioning that no handshake would occur between the players. “We appreciate your respect for the athletes during and after the match,” they announced.
This decision followed an incident earlier in the tournament when Svitolina’s opponent, Mirra Andreeva, received boos from parts of the crowd despite deliberately avoiding the net for a handshake.
Despite the unconventional conclusion to the match, Sabalenka applauded Svitolina as she left the court and publicly acknowledged her opponent’s efforts. “I felt like I didn’t have opportunity to even say, great job. I have it now, so great job, great match, great player, amazing tournament. Yeah, she played incredible,” the two-time Australian Open champion said in her press conference.
Sabalenka emphasized that both players understand their mutual professional admiration, regardless of the handshake situation. “I think she knows that I respect her as a player. I know that she respects me as a player. That’s all I care,” she explained.
The victory propels Sabalenka into her fourth consecutive Australian Open final, where she aims to rectify past championship defeats. The 27-year-old lost in finals to Madison Keys at Melbourne Park and Coco Gauff at Roland Garros before claiming the US Open title against Amanda Anisimova.
Sabalenka is determined to apply the lessons learned from those experiences, stating, “Yeah, I actually know what was wrong in all of those finals that I played and I lost, and I would say that last year was lots of lessons, lots of things to learn about myself, and definitely not gonna happen again this season.” Looking ahead, she expressed readiness to apply her new psychological approach in future championship matches.
As the tournament progresses, the enduring complexities between sport and geopolitics remind us that even in the world of elite tennis, tensions run deep and respect takes many forms.
