Marta Kosuyuk
Tennis player from Ukraine wins first WTA tournament – and then becomes very emotional
Marta Kostjuk, tennis pro from Ukraine, has long refused to shake hands with opponents from Russia or Belarus
© Christopher Pike / Getty Images
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kosuyuk won her first WTA tournament in Austin. She refused to shake hands with the defeated Russian – and dedicated the victory to her compatriots.
when it was done Marta Kostyuk sank to her knees, crouched on the ground behind the baseline and sobbed: In an explosive final, the tennis player from Ukraine won her first WTA tournament on Sunday (local time) in Austin, Texas – against a Russian of all places. The 20-year-old defeated Varvara Gratschewa 6:3 and 7:5 in the final. She then refused her opponent the traditional handshake at the net. She won’t do that if she’s playing against an opponent from Russia, which has attacked Ukraine, or Belarus, which supports the invasion, she said. “In the situation I’m in right now, it’s something very special to win this title. I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and to all the people who are fighting and dying right now,” said Kostyuk at the award ceremony. She then thanked the tournament organizers and all employees.
Marta Kostjuk refuses to shake hands
As early as September 2022, Kostjuk had lost to Belarusian Wiktoryja Asaranka at the US Open refused a handshake. Both had “high-fived” at the net with their tennis rackets. At the Australian Open in January, Kostjuk reaffirmed her position: In Melbourne, too, she would not shake hands with opponents who did not expressly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I haven’t changed my mind about the war and everything that’s going on on the tour,” she told the Reuters news agency. In the eyes of the people of Kiev, it’s not enough to disapprove of war in general. “I think everyone who speaks out clearly has the right to play on the tour,” Kostyuk said in Melbourne. She does not speak to players from Russia and Belarus, said Kostyuk. She hardly ever says hello.
Other sources:WTA on Twitter, Video of the refused handshake on Eurosport.de, Statement by Kostyuk at the Australian Open, Reuters.