43-Year-Old Venus Williams Breaks Character as She Displays Rare Anger at Chair Umpire in Chaotic Scenes During Her Defeat to Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon Championships

Venus Williams‘ 24th appearance at Wimbledon did not quite go as planned. She was drawn against an inform Elina Svitolina in her first round. The duo locked horns at the Centre Court on the opening day of the tournament. The crowd unsurprisingly cheered for the five-time Wimbledon champion as she received a huge round of applause on her entry. Despite the crowd support and her years of experience, the 43-year-old lost the physical battle.

The match ended in straight sets in favor of the Ukrainian but it did deliver more than enough drama for two sets. The ending of the match was somewhat controversial and Williams was certainly unhappy with a decision not going her way.

Venus Williams refuses to shake hands with the umpire

While defending match point, Venus engaged in a long rally with Svitolina. The Ukrainian hit a deep forehand which painted the line and forced an error off Williams’ racket. However, Williams was not happy with the decision, she believed that the ball was out.

However, Williams did not question the umpire. She put a smile on her face, nodded and went towards Svitolina. The two players had a warm embrace at the net but Williams refused to shake hands with the umpire. Hawk-eye later confirmed that the umpire’s decision was correct and the ball had landed in. But, Venus, driven by emotions in the heat of the moment decided not to acknowledge the umpire.

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In case, you are wondering, this was not even the highlight of the match. An unfortunate incident took place early into the tie that grabbed most of the attention. But, what exactly raised more eyebrows than a match point controversy?

Venus Williams’ scary slip grabbed the headlines

The seven-time major champion’s nasty slip in only the third game of the match became the talk of the town. Williams was back on her feet after the changeover but she could not quite find her form. Her movement was affected by the slip and it did not allow her to play at her best level. In fact, Venus was off to a flyer after winning the first two games of the match. But, she lost all the momentum after the slip.

READ MORE: Major Scare at Wimbledon as 43-Year-Old Venus Williams Screams in Agony Over a Nasty Fall That?s Reminiscent of Sister Serena Williams? Unfortunate Incident Two Years Ago

The incident also reminded fans of the infamous Serena Williams slip at the 2021 Wimbledon. The younger sister suffered a worse injury there and was forced to withdraw.

WATCH THIS STORY:??She?s Not Embarrassed? ? Regardless of Results, 43-Year-Old Venus Williams? Burning Desire to Compete Is a Life Lesson in Self-Confidence, Claims Tennis Expert