One of the most awaited tournaments in the tennis calendar, the Indian Wells Masters, is underway, with some of the biggest names on the ATP and WTA Tours competing for the title. The initial round matches in California have already become a talking point, as fans saw some controversial incidents along with great performances. One such incident happened after Lesia Tsurenko defeated Donna Vekic in the first-round match of the BNP Paribas Open.

It was a handshake drama between the WTA players that caught the attention of the entire tennis community. The Croatian tennis player refused to shake hands with her opponent after she got knocked out of the tournament. Here’s what happened between Tsurenko and Vekic, and how the fans reacted to the contentious incident.

The tennis community reacts to Donna Vekic and Lesia Tsurenko’s handshake drama

As a part of the customary post-match routine, the Ukrainian tennis player approached Donna Vekic for a humble handshake. However, the Croatian tennis star refused to do so after getting outclassed by Lesia Tsurenko. The 33-year-old made a surprising comeback after going down in the first set against her in-form opponent.

With some incredible displays in the crucial moment of the game, Tsurenko clinched a three-set win by the scoreline 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Vekic, on the other hand, was quite frustrated with an early-round defeat as she rushed to pack her bags on the sidelines. Her exasperation was further made evident when she refused to shake hands with Tsurenko, who humbly reached out to console her.

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Their handshake drama was also witnessed by the entire tennis community who later expressed their opinions on social media. Some of the fans suggested that Tsurenko was faking her injury struggles, which irked her opponent.

Notably, one of the users commented on the video clip of the incident posted by the user, LorenaPopa. Violet17 said, “…It was ridiculous! Complete melodrama all match.”

A handshake drama is not a new topic for the tennis community as a similar incident took place between American tennis players Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens. The audience witnessed a salty handshake exchange between the two compatriots that later became a talking point.

Taking note of the latest incident, another fan commented, “There are too many drama queens in the women’s game!!!”

Other fans reacted to the controversial incident during the Indian Wells Masters in a similar way.

What do you think of the recent handshake controversies taking place during the BNP Paribas Open? Let us know in the comments section.

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