By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, July 31, 2023

Clarity is coming earlier than Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina sq. off on the Mubadala Citi DC Open tonight.

Earlier this month, Belarusian Azarenka was booed off No. 1 Court at Wimbledon after a high-quality conflict vs. Ukrainian Svitolina.

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Svitolina scored a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(9) conquer Azarenka at Wimbledon in an excellent showdown.  The booing started as a result of there was no handshake between the pair after the match.

Ukrainian gamers don't take part within the post-match handshake with Russian and Belarusian gamers due to Russia's unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine that started in February, 2022.

Since then, Ukrainians haven't shaken palms with Russian or Belarusian opponents. Though it has been an ongoing apply for almost a year-and-a-half some followers apparently are nonetheless unaware of the difficulty.

To that finish, Svitolina stated WTA CEO Steve Simon assured her there shall be a "no handshake" announcement earlier than the 2 ladies meet once more tonight in DC to make clear the state of affairs for followers.  "After our match at Wimbledon, WTA, as you know, came out with the statement that there would be no handshakes between Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian players," Svitolina informed the media in Washington, DC. "Also yesterday I had a chat with Steve Simon and he told me that they will announce before our match that there will be no handshake. So I'm happy with that."

Following fan response at Wimbledon, each Azarenka and Svitolina, who had been as soon as doubles companions, known as on tennis' governing our bodies to offer readability for followers in order that they perceive why there isn't a handshake.

“For me personally, I think the tennis organizations, they have to come out with a statement that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian players," Svitolina said at Wimbledon. "I don't know if it's maybe not clear for people.

"Some people not really know what is happening. So I think this is the right way to do.”

Epic. Elina ✨@ElinaSvitolina outlasts Victoria Azarenka in a rollercoaster three-set thriller to progress to the quarter-finals 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(9) 👏#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/vikVFGuTFj

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2023

At Wimbledon, Azarenka additionally took difficulty with a couple of journalists, whom she urged had been magnifying the difficulty and fanning the flames of controversy within the course of.

“I know Elina for a very long time, I've always had a good relationship with her," Azarenka said. "And the circumstances, it is what it is, and that's it. I don't think that talking about every little gesture makes any difference or is a big story. I'm not saying you particularly, but a lot of people keep talking about it like it's changing somebody's lives, which it's not.

“So the bigger you guys are making it, the longer it's going to be a conversation. So in my opinion it's not a conversation that has any substance, any change, any effect, or really anything.”

Ahead of tonight's showdown, Azarenka stated she expects tennis to be the main focus.

"Definitely feels like she's playing free. You know, she's just coming back," Azarenka stated of Svitolina. "So there is nothing to defend, only things to gain. In one way, I would say it's an advantage, but it depends how you look at it.

"I really feel that it's positively serving to her to play extra freely. She's been enjoying effectively. Definitely the outcomes are there. I'm trying ahead to, you realize, to a problem, for certain. Yeah, it is going to be a unique match, totally different floor, totally different metropolis. Quite a couple of issues totally different. Yeah, it is going to be a battle. It all the time is."

Photo credit score: Robert Prange/Getty

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