Charleston drama: a new worst handshake?

Bad handshakes are unfortunately not a new phenomenon in tennis – but this one has got to be up there with the worst.

Kazahkstan’s Yulia Putintseva refused to even look at her opponent, Poland’s Magda Linette, after a 4-6 6-2 6-4 loss in the first round of the Volvo Car Open in Charleston today.

Putintseva, the world No.29 and the tournament’s 12th seed, was visibly upset after letting a 4-0 lead in the deciding set slip.

Putintseva-Linette handshake: (via cyclo on tennis forum) pic.twitter.com/BlbmS6JNja

— . (@returnofserve) April 4, 2017

Footage of the handshake has gone viral on social media, with former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki among the players voicing their disapproval by liking this tweet from world No.68 Mandy Minella:

I see also players are not that happy about #Putintseva #handshake in #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/9Bv0rm8hJs

— Michele Galoppini (@MikGaloppini) April 4, 2017

Linette replied with tears of laughter (in emoji form):

@mandyminella ????????????

— Magda Linette (@MagdaLinette) April 5, 2017

It follows an incident earlier in the tournament when American Sachia Vickery refused to shake hands with Australian Anastasia Rodionova after a first round qualifying loss:

???????? pic.twitter.com/1MStxVFNpk

— Dr. Daniel Ward (@uncdanward) April 1, 2017

Charleston is not adverse to these kind of reactions – how can we forget the infamous Patty Schynder handshake (or lack of) in 2004:

What is it about the green clay? Drama, drama, drama!