Novak Djokovic wasn’t happy after Cameron Norrie hit the back of Serbian’s leg with a smash in feisty Italian Open match | CNN

CNN  —  Novak Djokovic’s straight-sets victory over Cameron Norrie in the Italian Open boiled over when the British tennis star hit the back of the world No. 1’s leg with a smash. The incident occurred at the start of the second set and despite an instant apology from Norrie, Djokovic did not respond well, proceeding…

Ukrainian tennis player refuses to shake Russian opponent’s hand after semifinal victory | CNN

CNN  —  Ukrainian tennis player Anhelina Kalinina refused to shake hands with Veronika Kudermetova, her Russian opponent, following the former’s victory in the semifinals of the Rome Masters in Italy on Friday. Speaking to reporters after the match at Foro Italico, Rome, Kalinina said, “We didn’t shake hands because the girl is from Russia basically….

French Open crowd boos as Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka | CNN

CNN  —  Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Belarusian opponent Aryna Sabalenka following their opening round match at the French Open, leading to boos from some of the crowd. After Sabalenka secured the 6-3 6-2 win, Kostyuk walked straight over to the umpire to shake her hand and then back to…

Novak Djokovic makes political statement about Kosovo after first-round French Open win | CNN

CNN  —  Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open on Monday in response to violent clashes in Kosovo. Following his first-round victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart] of Serbia. Stop the violence” in Serbian on a camera lens, using…

Kosovan Olympic Committee calls for disciplinary action against Novak Djokovic | CNN

CNN  —  The Kosovan Olympic Committee (KOC) has called for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) to take disciplinary action against Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic. On Monday, Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open in response to violent clashes in Kosovo, writing: “Kosovo…

Belarusian star opts out of French Open press conference, saying she ‘did not feel safe’ at last press conference | CNN

CNN  —  World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka did not participate in a customary post-match press conference after her third-round win at the French Open on Friday, saying she didn’t feel safe when participating in a press conference held earlier this week. On Wednesday, after winning in the second round of the tournament, the Belarusian had…

Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina calls Russian opponent ‘brave’ following French Open win | CNN

CNN  —  Tennis player Elina Svitolina called her opponent, Russian Daria Kasatkina, a “brave one” following the Ukrainian’s upset win on Sunday. Svitolina, who previously said she would not shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents out of respect for the men and women defending Ukraine, told reporters that she “acknowledged” Kasatkina after the match….

Aryna Sabalenka exacerbated handshake snub by waiting at the net, says Elina Svitolina | CNN

CNN  —  Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina said that she was unsure why Belarusian opponent Aryna Sabalenka waited at the net for a handshake after their French Open match. With the war in her home country ongoing, Svitolina has declined to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players since returning to tennis following the birth…