At the Monterrey Open, Elina Svitolina was harshly criticized for refusing to shake hands with Elina Avanesyan. The 29-year-old Ukrainian Svitolina defeated the Russian Avanesyan in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 in the Round of 16.
No handshakes for Belarus and Russian players
After winning, Svitolina declined to follow the custom of shaking hands with her opponent and instead shook hands with the umpire before going back to her seat. Since the Ukraine-Russia war began in February 2022, Svitolina—who is married to fellow tennis great Gael Monfils—has declined to shake hands with players from Belarus and Russia.
The reason for the uproar over the refusal to shake hands is that Avanesyan is now representing Armenia instead of her birthplace. Netizens reacted negatively to Svitolina’s “disrespectful” behaviour. In a social media post, one netizen stated: “absolutely disgusting from svitolina refusing to shake hands with avanesyan, who changed her citizenship into armenian” .
absolutely disgusting from svitolina refusing to shake hands with avanesyan, who changed her citizenship into armenian pic.twitter.com/prFs2mkr4x
The post received comments from other people who wrote: “It’s just petulant because it achieves nothing except negative headlines”, “She should get banned for bad sportsmanship”, and “can someone do it to her she act so entitled.”
Svitolina also made headlines last year when she declined to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated the Ukrainian in the French Open quarterfinal.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus when they met in the first round of the DC Open in Washington, just as she had at Wimbledon. And again, the Ukrainian didn’t shake hands with her Belarusian opponent at the end of the match.
There was one difference, though. Spectators were warned Svitolina wouldn’t shake hands with Azarenka. The message was flashed on the scoreboard after the first set of Svitolina’s 7-6, 6-4 win in Washington.
This was done to prevent what happened at Wimbledon, where Azarenka was booed after being beaten by Svitolina.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina hasn’t shaken hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents during the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Instead of shaking hands, Svitolina and Azarenka went straight to the umpire at the end of the match amid cheers from the audience and waving Ukrainian flags.
The two players showed sportsmanship by thanking the chair umpire.
Svitolinaolina was happy a message was flashed on the scoreboard that she wouldn’t shake hands with her Belarusian opponent.
“It’s the right thing,” said world number 27 Svitolina.
“I asked for the WTA to respect the decision of Ukrainians. And they did,” she was quoted as saying in an article in the Hindustan Times.
Two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka, playing on her 34th birthday, said the message arrived “18 months too late”. The current Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
“We just move on. We play a tennis match. As I said in Wimbledon, I accept, respect somebody’s position. That’s it,” Azarenka added.
In a dramatic turn of events at the U.S. Open, Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva found herself at the centre of a social media storm after her third-round exit. The controversy erupted following a video that captured an awkward interaction with a ball girl during her 6-3, 6-4 loss to Jasmine Paolini.
Boos for Yulia Putintseva
The footage showed Putintseva, visibly frustrated, standing motionless as the ball girl attempted to hand her tennis balls. The athlete’s cold response, letting the balls bounce off her, sparked immediate boos from the crowd and a barrage of criticism online. Social media users lambasted Putintseva for what they perceived as disrespectful behaviour, with many calling her a poor role model and questioning her character.
She also faced widespread criticism on social media, with comments from former US Open champion and six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker, who posted on X, “Who does Putintseva think she is? Terrible behavior towards the ball girl!!!”
According to a report published by Fox News, Putintseva took to her social media platforms to issue a public apology, clarifying that her frustration was directed at herself for missing a crucial game point. She admitted to being lost in thought and not fully present during the exchange, emphasizing that her reaction was not intended for the ball girl.
Public apology and an explanation
“I want to apologize to the ball girl for how I was when she gave me balls. Honestly speaking, it was not about her. I was really pissed at myself for not winning the game from the breakpoint and then got empty with my emotions and deep in my thoughts, that I was not even focusing on what was going on and who gave me the ball… All the ball kids [were] doing amazing as always at the open,” Putintseva explained.
Despite the setback, the U.S. Open continues to captivate fans, with Jasmine Paolini advancing to the Round of 16, where she will face Karolina Muchova in what promises to be another thrilling encounter.
Maria Sakkari was seen in tears after suffering a devastating loss 6-0, 6-1 to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
After losing to Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari says she’s not the first or the last person to cry on the tennis court:
“I don’t have much to say.. I think it was pretty obvious I wasn’t feeling my game & wasn’t feeling comfortable out there. Just a very, very bad day at the… pic.twitter.com/4HfujVSeXz
Earlier this month, the eighth-ranked player in the WTA standings, Czech star Karolina Muchova, declared that she would be foregoing her opportunity to compete in the WTA finals due to an injury to her wrist. And in her place, Maria Sakkari stepped in.
Sakarri’s first match in the tournament, however, didn’t go her way. She was faced with a tough adversary to beat, Belarusian player Sabalenka. Despite her valiant efforts to hold her footing, Sabalenka displayed her undeniable prowess as a tennis player and upset Sakarri dominantly in the two sets.
Sakkari: ‘No one likes to get chopped on the court’
After the match, Sakkari and Sabalenka shook hands at the net before resigning to their respective benches. It was during this time that Sakkari abandoned her gruff exterior and let out her emotions, sobbing as she wrapped her head in a white towel.
Sakkari stated after the game that it was clear she was not performing to her full potential and was not at ease in the match that day.
Via The Tennis Letter: “I don’t have much to say.. I think it was pretty obvious I wasn’t feeling my game & wasn’t feeling comfortable out there. Just a very, very bad day at the office. I just don’t think that I’m the first or the last person that has felt this way on the court or has cried on the court. It’s not nice. But no one likes to get chopped on the court.”
After losing to Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari says she’s not the first or the last person to cry on the tennis court:
“I don’t have much to say.. I think it was pretty obvious I wasn’t feeling my game & wasn’t feeling comfortable out there. Just a very, very bad day at the… pic.twitter.com/4HfujVSeXz
Sabalenka, meanwhile, had comforting words for Sakkari. The Belarusian player praised Sakkari for being an amazing player and for continuing to fight despite the scores.
“She’s an amazing player and she’s always fighting for every ball. And, I knew that no matter what the score is that she’s going to fight for it. That’s what makes her a really tough opponent. You know against Maria, any time she can come back. You just give her a little bit and she’ll take that and keep fighting.”
Anhelina Kalinina almost lost against Caroline Wozniacki, the former world’s number one, having a point away from winning straight sets. However, the Ukrainian held onto the match point and went on to win the next five rallies of the second set before winning the third set with a record of 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round.
Wozniacki retired from tennis at the same tournament after winning the Australian Open in 2018. She made her comeback in the sport last year after giving birth to two children while she was away.
Sabalenka vs Kalinina
As the Miami Open progresses, anticipation rises for the clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Anhelina Kalinina. Both players have impressed, setting the stage for a thrilling third-round encounter.
Sabalenka, fresh from Indian Wells, faces Kalinina, who secured a hard-fought victory in her opening match.
With Sabalenka aiming for redemption and Kalinina seeking to maintain her momentum, tennis fans can expect an enthralling battle at the Hard Rock Stadium. Stay tuned for the outcome of this eagerly awaited showdown in the WTA 1000 tournament.
Following an injury- and loss-plagued year in 2022, former world No. 6 Gael Monfils worked his way back to the top of the rankings over the course of the year, showing that his time in tennis is far from over.
On Monday, as he competed in the final of the Stockholm Open, his No. 1 supporter, his wife and No. 25-ranked tennis player Elina Svitolina, was present in the stands. And, as he clinched his twelfth career title, the couple shared a sweet moment on the court, with Monfils kissing his wife in front of the spectators.
Gael Monfils kisses Elina Svitolina after winning his 1st title as a dad.
At the conclusion of the Stockholm Open final against Pavel Kotov, Frenchman Gael Monfils achieved a remarkable feat, beating his foe 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 and becoming the oldest and least-ranked player ever to win the tournament. His victory was even more special due to the fact that it was his first tournament title since he had become a father.
At the award ceremony, Monfils thanked his mother, wife, and daughter as well as his good friend Michael Llorda, a former accomplished French tennis player.
“Special week for me with 3 ladies. My mom, thank you. As always it’s nice to win a title in front of her. My wife Elina. Thank you. The last one my daughter Skaï who’s watching in front of the TV. It’s my first time as a father I’ve won a title. It’s very special.”
“The funny thing is it’s my 12th title. 12 years later I won here. I guess 12 is my lucky number so.. crazy. Short story but long story. I’d like to thank Michael. Before Roland Garros, I told him I need is help again. He’s like really? I’m like ‘yes.’ He said ‘I watched your match. It was terrible. Tomorrow we’ll practice together.’” 😂
Gael Monfils after becoming oldest Stockholm Champion ever
“The funny thing is it’s my 12th title. 12 years later I won here. I guess 12 is my lucky number so.. crazy. Short story but long story. I’d like to thank Michael. Before Roland Garros, I told him I need is help again.… pic.twitter.com/8zmKSA1rfq
Earlier in the year, Elina, his wife, secured her first title as a mother in Strasbourg, quickly climbing to the 25th spot in the world rankings. Monfils, on the other hand, with his recent win in Stockholm, is set to make a significant ranking leap, rejoining the Top 100.
Gael and Elina through thick and thin
In April 2021, Gael and Elina shared their engagement news, and just three months later, they celebrated their wedding. Their relationship has consistently been a wellspring of mutual strength and support, offering solace through challenging moments and beyond.
Elina stated in an article for Olympics.com that Gael had been her constant source of support.
“He has been there every step of the way. He is a huge support for me. Obviously, he’s seeing me every single day, not in the best moods. There have been ups and downs, so I’m really thankful for the support that he’s been giving me. I know that it’s also tough for him to see me in a bad mood, being sad. And I understand that sometimes can be tough for him, but I really appreciate his love and all the support that he’s been giving me.”
Likewise, when Gael suffered a tremendous setback in his career last year when he sustained an injury and experienced a significant drop in rankings, Elina stood by his side. The two now have a daughter named Skai, who celebrated her first birthday on October 15.
