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 night time.
After an exciting first set, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina clinched the tiebreaker and received the match 7-6, 6-3.
Earlier than the match, Azarenka walked into the Rod Laver Enviornment 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 sector 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 instructed her to take it off and heat up within the uniform she could be enjoying in.
The 2-time Australian Open champion caught to the steerage and stated she thought it was a sponsorship subject.
“They requested me to take it off twice as a result of I used to be carrying a distinct shirt,” Azarenka stated in her post-match press convention. “I feel it is the sponsorship subject. I feel logos are too large… I do know I am not allowed to play in that. I knew that form of factor.
“However I can nonetheless step on the court docket in what I need to step on the court docket. I do it for my very own causes. My son wore a white jersey immediately for his observe, and I attempted to put on a white jersey for my match however I could not. In order that’s tremendous.”
Victoria Azarenka hits the ball pissed off on the Australian Open.
Elena Rybakina superior to the ultimate of the Australian Open.
adverts
Victoria Azarenka hits a backhand within the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
adverts
Azarenka was vying to turn into the fourth lady to win a Grand Slam match after changing 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 help of President Vladimir Putin exterior Rod Laver Enviornment.
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 night time, was a vital speaking level, however Azarenka, who performs below a impartial flag as a Belarusian, cleared the strings of questions.
Azarenka Alternate 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 below 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 nonetheless you want.”
She stated the off-field scandal had nothing to do with the gamers on the match.
‘No matter reply I shall now offer you,’ she stated, ‘it is going to be become no matter means you want to flip it.’ “So does that hassle me? What bothers me is that there are actual issues happening on the earth.”