Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in the Australian Open semifinal to reach her fourth consecutive final. The match ended without the customary handshake, with both players leaving the court directly, drawing attention from fans.
The World No.1 and Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the fourth consecutive Australian Open final after defeating Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the semifinal on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park on Thursday, January 28.
Despite the semifinal clash being marred by controversy over Sabalenka’s hindrance call by the chair umpire for unusual grunting in the middle of a point, the Belarusian kept her focus and dominated the game, securing straight sets victory - 6-2, 6-3- over Svitolina, keeping her hopes alive for the third Australian Open triumph and fifth Grand Slam title.
The semifinal clash between the two was much-anticipated, given that Elina Svitolina did not lose a single set en route to the final four and Aryna Sabalenka’s dominant form and bid for a fourth straight final, making it a compelling contrast of styles and storylines. Sabalenka’s aggressive baseline and powerful serve left Svitolina with few answers, as the Belarusian dictated proceedings throughout the match.
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No Handshake Moment between Sabalenka and Svitolina?
After Aryna Sabalenka clinched the dominant victory in the semifinal over Elina Svitolina, keeping her hopes of a third triumph at Melbourne Park, the two refused to shake hands at the net, which is a customary post-match gesture in tennis.
After Sabalenka hit a winning return, the World No.1 and Svitolina avoided any contact and directly shook hands with the chair umpire, a gesture that caught the attention of fans watching the match.
Right after the first semifinal clash, the announcement was flashed on the big screen of the Rod Laver Arena, noting that Sabalenka and Svitolina did not shake hands at the net without providing any explanation for the gesture, while appreciating the respect for both players during and after the match.
“At the conclusion of the match, there will be no handshake between the players. We appreciate your respect for both the players during and after the match,” the announcement reads.
The no-handshake gesture between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Evitolina drew the attention of fans and spectators at the Rod Laver Arena. The reason for skipping the traditional post-match handshake was not disclosed, and the two players left the court without any exchange or acknowledgment of each other.
Why Was There No-Handshake?
The two players, Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina, avoiding the handshake after the semifinal has a bigger context than the match itself. The absence of a handshake was not related to hindrance controversy or any on-court exchange, but a geopolitical issue involving Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
As Ukraine continues to conflict with Russia, the tensions remain high in international sport involving players from the region. The Ukrainian tennis players have consistently avoided shaking hands with Russian players as a protest against the ongoing war, which witnessed the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, leading to widespread international condemnation and sanctions.
Since Belarus is a close ally of Russia and supported its actions during the invasion, Ukrainian players have extended their protest to Belarusian opponents as well. Elina Svitolina also avoided handshakes with two Russian opponents, Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva in the third and fourth rounds of the Australian Open as a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ support for Moscow.
By not shaking hands with Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, Elina Svitolina has maintained a consistent stance, reflecting the ongoing geopolitical tensions rather than any personal or on-court dispute.
