In a candid admission, Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka expressed her blatant displeasure at the disrespectful conduct exhibited by Latvian opponent Jelena Ostapenko during their previous encounter. Azarenka made it clear that she wouldn’t hesitate to mirror such discourteous behavior should she be met with it again.
The contentious incident unfolded during their face-off a year ago in Doha. An unexpected event from that match circulated widely, sparking intrigue and shock among tennis enthusiasts. Following her 6-0, 6-3 loss at the hands of Azarenka, Ostapenko approached the net. However, instead of extending a sportsmanlike handshake, she offered her racket for a tap, a gesture that left Azarenka momentarily taken aback.
Azarenka’s victory over Ostapenko, her 150th on a hard court, earned her a place in the quarterfinals where she would face Swiatek. The unusual net interaction, however, overshadowed the landmark win.
The practice of players tapping their rackets in lieu of handshakes was a safety measure introduced during the pandemic. However, this practice has long been phased out, making Ostapenko’s gesture all the more puzzling.
In a candid conversation with Daria Kasatkina on the Russian’s show, “What The Vlog,” Azarenka expressed her confusion and annoyance over Ostapenko’s gesture. The two-time Grand Slam winner boldly stated that she saw the gesture as Ostapenko’s problem, not hers. She further questioned who would still engage in such outdated practices as racket tapping in 2024.
Azarenka, known for her sportsmanship, added a stern warning for anyone who might want to provoke her. She made it clear that while she wouldn’t initiate any unpleasantness, she wouldn’t shy away from giving back as good as she gets if provoked.
The Doha match wasn’t the first time Azarenka triumphed over Ostapenko. A month prior, she had also bested the Latvian in Brisbane and at the Australian Open. During one of their Australian encounters, Azarenka described Ostapenko’s protests against the decisions made by the electronic line calling system as “comical.”
The two haven’t met on court since their contentious Doha match. However, given the sparks that flew in their previous encounters, any future matches will undoubtedly be watched with keen interest.