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Azarenka Booed Off Wimbledon Court After Handshake Kerfuffle

“It wasn’t fair. It is what it is. What can I do?”

Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka was booed off the Wimbledon court Sunday after she didn’t shake hands with Ukrainian rival Elina Svitolina. But after dropping the match to Svitolina, Azarenka said that the fans might not have grasped the whole story. Svitolina hasn’t been shaking hands with her Russian and Belarusian competitors in protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Belarus shares a border with Russia and is a known ally with Putin in the invasion. Azarenka said she knew this, so she didn’t attempt to shake hands with Svitolina after the match. “I can’t control the crowd. I’m not sure that a lot of people were understanding what’s happening,” Azarenka said. “It wasn’t fair. It is what it is. What can I do?” Svitolina said there should be a formal proclamation about the handshakes to avoid this confusion in the future. “For me personally, I think the tennis organizations, they have to come out with a statement that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian players,” Svitolina said. “I don’t know if it’s maybe not clear for people. Some people not really know what is happening. So I think this is the right way to do.”