Google News
Marta Kostyuk behives like a child in the first round match in Paris, against Aryna Sabalenka. The Ukrainian tennis player refused to take the usual photo before the start of the match with her Belarusian rival, rightly suffering the boos of the crowd at the Roland Garros.
Now, the war is atrocious, the Russian aggression against Ukraine is unjustifiable and horrible, and we totally condemn Russia's actions towards Ukraine. But, as said several times: THE FAULT IS NOT WITH ARYNA SABALENKA OR OTHER RUSSIAN AND BELARUSIAN TENNIS PLAYERS!
We must underline it in capital letters. The athletes do not decide, on the contrary, they are the first to be targeted. Between bans and accusations, it's difficult for them too. But it is the Russian leaders who wanted the war, not tennis players or athletes in general.
Kostyuk showed no respect, she rightly got booed by the crowd and even lost the match badly.
What happened
Sabalenka and Kostyuk immediately unleashed and divided social media even before the start of the match on Philippe-Chatrier.
In fact, the two did not take the usual and traditional photo after the coin toss to understand who was starting to serve, heading to the baseline to start the warm-up phase. At the end of the draw, the Belarusian remained without words before looking back and thinking about the warm up.
There was no lack of controversy on the web after this episode. An action of this type was expected, given the declarations made on the eve and in recent months between the two due to the war in Ukraine. In all likelihood, the Ukrainian tennis player, at the end of the match whatever the score gained on the court, will approach the net to shake hands only with the chair umpire, as she has been doing practically for a year or so.
Kostyuk recently said: "I have no respect for her who keeps going to Russia, speaking to the Russian press, not taking her family out of aggressor states despite her financial means." Aryna's response was quite blunt: "Does Kostyuk hate me? I can't help it." A very bad moment of tennis in Paris.