Be it Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shaking hands at the net after their 2008 Wimbledon clash, or the warm embrace between the Williams sisters after any of their Grand Slam finals- some of the best moments of the sport have come from mutual respect between players, with a handshake or a hug after a grueling match.

That is why, when a critic pointed out that WTA matches often featured cold handshakes, former pro Andrea Petkovic defended the Tour, stating that cold handshakes had nothing to do with the player’s gender.

“I’m surprised to read that. I actually think some of the men’s handshakes are way saltier (Tsitsipas, anybody?),” said Petkovic while replying to a comment on her Substack channel. “Yes, men usually half-hug when they get along, although some would argue (me) that pulling the opponent in towards your chest could also be viewed as a power move to show who’s boss.”

“There are a few questionable handshakers on the women’s side like Ostapenko and Putintseva but for the most part i always see amicable interactions. Keep in mind, I watch A LOT of tennis, and I wouldn’t say there is a stark discrepancy between men and women. Sore losers come in all genders.”

Petkovic is not wrong in stating that men’s tennis has seen its fair share of on-court skirmishes in recent times. As the former German pro mentioned Stefanos Tsitsipas in her comment, no one could forget the Greek’s heated Wimbledon battle against Nick Kyrgios in 2022. The match was chaotic, with the Australian pushing the Greek’s buttons, leading to massive controversy as Kyrgios called for Tsitsipas’s default after he hit a ball into the crowd. It goes without saying that the two did not have much to say to each other at the net.

Even Petkovic’s compatriot and the recently crowned two-time Major champion Alexander Zverev has had his cold handshakes. Back in 2023, the German had a cold handshake at the net with Daniil Medvedev after the duo had played a chaotic match at Monte Carlo. The Russian was up to his usual antics of taking mid-match breaks, having altercations with the umpire, and even taking out the net poles from the ground, all of which were successful in disrupting Zverev’s momentum.

While Petkovic has pointed out that cold handshakes were not unique to the WTA, she did admit that the Tour has a few characters who are often embroiled in on-court skirmishes. Yulia Putintseva had a big blowup with Maria Sakkari after the Kazakh had given her a cold handshake at the net during the duo’s match at the Bad Homburg Open last year, with the Greek having her own retorts on the court. Even this year, Putintseva got into it with the crowd at the Australian Open, as she mockingly twerked at a partisan Turkish crowd after she won over Zeynep Sonmez.

Jelena Ostapenko has a notorious track record of verbal battles with opponents. The Latvian had words with Laura Siegemund at Wimbledon this year, after Ostapenko had won the mixed doubles match with Marcelo Arevalo. The former French Open champion was also involved in a major dispute with Taylor Townsend last year, when both players had an altercation at the net at the US Open.

Tennis players are constantly under pressure and are understandably devastated after losses. Still, offering a handshake at the net is part of the etiquette of the sport, something both men and women follow on most occasions. The recently concluded US Open saw multiple instances in men’s and women’s matches of players having emotional exchanges at the net even after a loss.

The US Open Had Some Emotional Net Exchanges

One need look no further than the recently completed US Open to see that both men and women have emotional exchanges at the net after a grueling match. The match between Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen saw the latter break down in tears on his opponent’s shoulders after Tiafoe had come back from being two sets down to win the quarterfinal, despite Michelsen being one game away from victory in the third set.

The women’s draw had its own emotional net exchange when two off-court friends, Alexandra Eala and Iva Jovic, went shot-for-shot against each other in one of the best matches of the competition. Even though Eala had lost the match despite being a break up in the third set, the Filipino player shared a warm hug with her American opponent, a gesture that moved Jovic to tears.

The tournament was full of such moments, whether it was Novak Djokovic paying his respects to Mariano Navone after the Serb was in tears himself during the match, or the warm embrace between two friends, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, at the net during the quarterfinals.