Daniil Medvedev is competing at Wimbledon after a year. In 2022, athletes from Russia and Belarus were banned from playing due to the war situation. This year, it came as a relief as they were allowed to play as neutral players. There is still tension in the locker room and the handshake controversy has also strained relationships among the players.
Medvedev will be playing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time. The 27-year-old will go up against Christopher Eubanks for a place in the semifinal. Medvedev had voiced his opinion about the war, saying that he only wanted peace. He also said that some players are comfortable talking about it and others are not.
Medvedev also mentioned that the press conferences were only about the war. He said that players must not be forced to say something on the topic, as it is a sensitive issue. He said, “I think the crowd that comes, Court 1 is what, maybe 10,000 people. I actually don’t know. They’re not all going to know the story behind this. They just saw Vika not shaking hands. That’s why I think they booed her. I liked her response where she said it was a great match and let’s talk about tennis.” (via Daily Express),
The Russian showed support for Victoria Azarenka as she was booed by the crowd after her match ended against Elina Svitolina. Medvedev believes that Azarenka did not do anything wrong.
Victoria Azarenka did the right thing after the match ended?
The world number three felt that Victoria Azarenka was misunderstood by the crowd, which booed her after her loss in the fourth round. Azarenka had put her fist up as a mark of respect against Svitolina after the match ended and did not wait for a handshake. Medvedev said that the crowd thought that she had intentionally walked out without a handshake. Svitolina had made it clear prior to the match that there would be no handshake.
The 33-year-old was playing in her 15th Wimbledon and had never received a reception like this before. She responded in the interview by saying the crowd might have had too many drinks during the day, so that’s why they reacted like that. The former world number one deserved a lot more than that, she has been playing for so long and has contributed so much to the sport. To exist in such a fashion would be cruel to any player.
Sabalenka was criticized at the French Open because she waited at the net for Svitolina’s handshake and “should have known better.” Now Azarenka is booed at Wimbledon because she “knew better” and chose not to shake Svitolina’s hand. This does not make sense. pic.twitter.com/rF2enwr2ro
— Tennis World (@Tennis095038821) July 10, 2023
Medvedev said, “I think it’s a pity for sure for her that she got booed, and probably for no reason. But I think the people didn’t know the story behind it, and that’s why it happened.” The two-time Australian Open winner still left the court without causing trouble and maintained composure during the after-match press conference.
It is sad to see athletes get underappreciated and criticized for no fault of their own. The Wimbledon crowd has hopefully learned its lesson, as there is still time to be kind.
