Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk lost in straight sets in the second round of the U.S. Open to former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka on Thursday.
When the two players approached the net after the match, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Azarenka, who is from Belarus. The Ukrainian player raised her racket up to tap her opponent’s instead.
Belarus was sanctioned by the United States for its support in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started in February. Azarenka has yet to vocally denounce Russia and Belarus’s actions, which has set many players off, including Kostyuk.
“It was my choice—I don’t feel like I don’t know any single person who condemned the war publicly, and the actions of their government, so I don’t feel like I can support this,” Kostyuk said, via ESPN. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great competitor. But it has nothing to do with her being a human being.”
Kostyuk has previously expressed disappointment in the majority of Russian and Belarusian players for not publicly denouncing the war.
The 20-year-old admitted that she texted Azarenka on Wednesday to “warn her” that she would not be shaking her hand after the match. She also wanted to talk to Azarenka about the war and hear her thoughts, especially since the Belarusian hasn’t been vocal about her stance.
However, Azarenka wasn’t on site, so the conversation did not occur.
At the post-match press conference, Azarenka said she is open to speaking with Kostyuk, but that they didn’t have a close relationship beforehand. Azarenka has spoken to other Ukrainian players, she said.
“I’m open to any time to listen, to try to understand, to sympathize,” Azarenka said. “I believe that empathy in the moment like this is really important, which has, again, been my clear message in the beginning.”
The two-time Grand Slam champion said she’s helped people who are in need of clothing, transportation and money since the war began.
Kostyuk was one of the main players who questioned Azarenka’s participation in last week’s pre–U.S. Open exhibition event to raise money for Ukraine. The Belarusian player ended up being cut from the event due to other players’ concerns.
“Imagine there is World War II and there is a fundraiser for Jewish people and a German player wants to play,” Kostyuk said Thursday.
Azarenka said after her being cut from the event that she thought joining the fundraiser was a “no-brainer” for her, and that of course she would want to help people in need.
“I thought that this was a gesture that really shows commitment,” Azarenka said. “I’m not sure why it wasn’t taken it that way.”
This isn’t the first time Azarenka’s been refused a handshake after a match following the Russian invasion. Another Ukrainian player, Dayana Yastremska, didn’t shake hands with the 33-year-old at the Citi Open a month ago.
Yastremska has been outspoken about her family’s situation regarding the Russian invasion. She fled Ukraine with her sister just days after it began.
