Watch: Belinda Bencic & Donna Vekic recreate contrast in post-match handshakes in men's & women's tennis
Belinda Bencic alongside good friend and colleague Donna Vekic recently enacted their interpretation of the post-match handshakes in men's and women's tennis. Both women are currently practicing at Flushing Meadows in New York after their premature exits from the Western & Southern Open earlier this week.
In a video posted by the Swiss on social media, the women first depicted how post-match interactions between men often end in a magnanimous embrace and an elongated exchange of words. As for the WTA matches, they recreated a brief handshake that seemed to be rather apathetic.
"The Handshake. Men’s Tennis vs. Women’s Tennis. @donnavekic," the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist captioned the post.
While instances of such handshakes can be seen across the two tours, growing camaraderie and friendships have led to several cordial embraces at the net in the women's game in recent years.
The video has been well-received by a lot of people from the tennis fraternity and has amassed over 8,000 likes on Instagram. The likes of Alexander Zverev, Marketa Vondrousova and Daniela Hantuchova have all reacted with 'laughing face' emojis in the comments section.
Tennis gets set for the final Grand Slam of the year
The US Open is set to commence from August 29 and will last till September 11. Players such as Simona Halep have already hit the practice courts at Flushing Meadows, while the likes of Rafael Nadal, Paula Badosa and Anett Kontaveit have confirmed their arrival in New York.
Defending champion Emma Raducanu, who triumphed last year as a qualifier, is expected to be seeded in the 2022 edition of the US Open. The Brit had a fairly positive US Open swing, gathering a couple of wins in Washington, D.C., and this week in Cincinnati.
Last year's winner Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, is slated to be the top seed in the men's draw. The Russian grabbed his 14th ATP title in Los Cabos earlier this month before finishing as a semifinalist in Cincinnati. Defending finalist Novak Djokovic's participation, however, is still uncertain owing to his status as an unvaccinated individual.
The 2022 US Open will mark the farewell of six-time champion Serena Williams, who recently announced her plans to retire. The American has been in action over the last couple of weeks in Toronto and Cincinnati, where she managed a solitary win across the two cities.
Four-time champion Rafael Nadal is heading to Flushing Meadows without a win during the North American hardcourt swing. The Spaniard returned to action in Cincinnati after nursing an abdominal injury, but lost to Borna Coric in the second round.