The Russian had defeated another Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the first round who also refused to shake her hand and was also booed by the audience
Elina Svitolina accused Aryna Sabalenka that he deliberately “inflamed” the already tense situation between the Ukrainian and Belarusian players at Roland Garros. For Ukraine, – defeat by Belarus in the quarterfinals 6-4, 6-4 – the gesture of the Sabalenka that at the end of the match she stopped at the net staring at her opponent, waiting for the handshake that would not have taken place, was a provocation. “I don’t know why she was waiting, why my statements had been clear enough about the handshake“, underlined Svitolina – who was booed by the audience – When she saw Sabalenka stop at the net I thought: “What are you doing? I have made my position clear“.
Sabalenka had defeated in the first round another Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk who also refused to shake her hand and was also booed by the audience. Svitolina stressed that she and other Ukrainians they will continue to hold their ground against the Russians and Belarusians in grass tournaments including Wimbledon next month. “I will not sell my country to people like theseSabalenka should be fined for refusing to attend two mandatory press conferences after the third and fourth round matches.
“I don’t support war. I don’t support war, in the sense that I don’t support Lukashenko“. This was stated by Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros, after winning the quarterfinal against Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who did not shake her hand at the end, being booed by the audience. The tension between tennis players from Ukraine and those of Russia and Belarus grew in the tournament underway in Paris and the No. 2 in the world had been repeatedly urged to distance herself from the Minsk regime After having twice avoided the post-match press conference, today Sabalenka she introduced herself making these statements.
(ANSA-AFP).