Victoria Azarenka was ordered to take off a shirt she was carrying in a weird scene forward of her Australian Open semi-final loss on Thursday evening.
After an exciting first set, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina clinched the tiebreaker and gained the match 7-6, 6-3.
Earlier than the match, Azarenka walked into the Rod Laver Area carrying a Paris Saint-Germain soccer jersey, however referee Alison Hughes shortly eliminated it.
The 33-year-old had worn the Paris Saint-Germain shirt on the sphere earlier than lots of her matches at Melbourne Park, explaining that she wears it as a result of it’s the membership that her son Leo helps and needs to play for someday.
Azarenka had additionally worn the jersey throughout press conferences, however the referee advised her to take it off and heat up within the uniform she can be enjoying in.
The 2-time Australian Open champion caught to the steerage and stated she thought it was a sponsorship challenge.
“They requested me to take it off twice as a result of I used to be carrying a unique shirt,” Azarenka stated in her post-match press convention. “I feel it is the sponsorship challenge. I feel logos are too massive… I do know I am not allowed to play in that. I knew that form of factor.
“However I can nonetheless step on the courtroom in what I wish to step on the courtroom. I do it for my very own causes. My son wore a white jersey immediately for his follow, and I attempted to put on a white jersey for my match however I could not. In order that’s effective.”
Victoria Azarenka hits the ball annoyed on the Australian Open.
Elena Rybakina superior to the ultimate of the Australian Open.
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Victoria Azarenka hits a backhand within the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
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Azarenka was vying to change into the fourth lady to win a Grand Slam match after turning into a mom however fell in need of the uncommon feat.
Saturday’s remaining will witness Rikabena’s confrontation with Arina Sabalenka, after the Belarusian participant defeated Poland’s Magda Linette 7-6, 6-2 within the different semi-final.
Azarenka wasn’t within the temper for reporters after her shedding streak.
The veteran was requested a thorny query in her post-match press convention about Russian nationalists staging an illustration in assist of President Vladimir Putin exterior Rod Laver Area.
On Thursday, Novak Djokovic’s father, Sardan, appeared He posed for a photograph with group members, together with a person carrying a T-shirt with a pro-war “Z” image on it. The demonstration, which adopted Djokovic’s win over Andrey Rublev on Wednesday evening, was an important speaking level, however Azarenka, who performs underneath a impartial flag as a Belarusian, cleared the strings of questions.
Azarenka Change with one reporter She turned listless as she stated her response would seemingly be “spinning”.
“You ask me about issues that somebody may say are underneath my management,” she stated, “however I do not imagine it.” “I do not know what you need me to reply. If it is a provocative query, then you may write the story nevertheless you want.”
She stated the off-field scandal had nothing to do with the gamers on the match.
‘No matter reply I shall now provide you with,’ she stated, ‘will probably be became no matter approach you want to flip it.’ “So does that trouble me? What bothers me is that there are actual issues happening on the earth.”