Wimbledon Finds Its Villain in 33-Year-Old Victoria Azarenka as Vehement Booing Accompanies Her in Brutal Send Off After Heart-Breaking Defeat to Elina Svitolina

The 7th day of Wimbledon has delivered some of the finest clashes of the year. Iga Swiatek, Belinda Bencic, Alexander Bublik, and Andrey Rublev were all involved in epic battles. However, the match of the day saw a match tie-breaker where only two points separated the players. Elina Svitolina outclassed Victoria Azarenka in the match tiebreak to move into the quarter-finals of the grass-court Grand Slam. But, more than the scintillating on-court action, it was the reaction of the fans that got people talking on Twitter.

The quality of the match was off the charts. Both players put their heart and soul on the court but alas, only one could prevail. A highly intense battle always involves some sort of drama, especially toward the end. Unsurprisingly, this one wasn’t any different. In fact, the fans had a major role here.

Fans boo Victoria Azarenka following her heartbreaking exit

Throughout the match, Azarenka received little to no support from the crowd. The fans went one step further after the match by booing the Belarusian while she left the court. There was no post-match handshake between the players, as Svitolina had previously announced that she wouldn’t shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players in light of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The fans were not pleased by it and decided to show it to Azarenka instead, as they might not be aware of the reason behind no handshake.

Azarenka responded back to the crowd while leaving the court. She sarcastically waved at the fans while the jeers continued.

Despite not shaking hands with Azarenka, Svitolina still has respect for her Belarusian opponent. Her post-match finger gesture does prove that.

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Svitolina and Azarenka acknowledge each other from a distance

After the match, Azarenka raised her arm out of respect for Svitolina and acknowledged her from a distance, knowing that the Ukrainian wouldn’t shake hands. Svitolina, on the other hand, put her racket up to appreciate the Belarusian. It was a brief moment which was overshadowed by the crowd jeers and post-match interview.

Svitolina similarly acknowledged Daria Kasatkina at last month’s Roland Garros after defeating her in two sets. The players did not embrace at the net but their heartwarming gesture (a thumbs up) towards each other was a sight to behold. Not shaking hands with the players is not a sign of disrespect from Svitolina, but her stand against the nations that have invaded her home country.

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