By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday February 14, 2024
We’ve all heard the saying: “Just here for the handshake.”
On Wednesdy in Doha that would have been a good plan, because while Victoria Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 win over Jelena Ostapenko was a lot closer in the second set, it wasn’t much of a match.
No, unfortunately, the thing that most fans will be talking about when it comes to Azarenka’s third win over Ostapenko in the last six weeks will be the handshake – or lack thereof.
Here’s how it went down:
The ‘Handshake’.
😂
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) February 14, 2024
Hard to say what Ostapenko’s reasoning for not offering her hand to Azarenka after the match might have been. She did, however, offer her racquet, and was prepared to exchange in a bit of Covid-style racquet tapping with the Belarusian. Azarenka, a bit confused by it all, declined.
Was Ostapenko just being a sore sport? Was she acting in solidarity with Ukraine? Does she have Covid or another type of contagious illness?
For now we are left to speculate. But we do know that Ostapenko did shake hands with Azarenka in their previous two meetings, which tells us that she’s likely not acting in solidarity with Ukraine. And, based on the fact that Ostapenko did shake hands with the umpire we rule out the contagious illness – unless she somehow believed Azarenka was contagious.
Three times of azarenka&Ostapenko’s handshake in 2024. pic.twitter.com/cCLhMiesls
— TennisMao (@AfiSeer73403) February 14, 2024
