Tennis player Svitolina explained the refusal to shake hands with the Russians by the decision of the government
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina during a press conference explained why she refused to shake hands with Russian Anna Blinkova after the match of the third round of Roland Garros.
The athlete said that the reason was political motives. “It all started with the Ukrainian government meeting with the Russian government. They were against shaking hands because they did not share their values. That’s where it went from,” she said.
Svitolina refused to shake hands with Russian woman Blinkova on June 2. The meeting ended with the victory of the Ukrainian with a score of 2:6, 6:2, 7:5.
On May 31, Svitolina criticized the decision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine to participate in tournaments with the Russians. The athlete said she did not understand the proposed boycott.
Svitolina has 16 titles in tournaments of the Women’s Tennis Association. She is also a bronze medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Source: Lenta
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
