Tennis: No handshake – Ukrainian Kostyuk booed in Paris

After the 3:6,2:6, the 20-year-old Kostyuk didn’t look at her opponent on Sunday and refrained from shaking hands as is usually the case in tennis. Larger parts of the audience on the Court Philippe-Chatrier reacted with boos and whistles.

At least some spectators applauded Kostyuk’s departure. She refuses to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus after games and calls for a clear condemnation of the war from professionals from both countries. Sabalenka had repeatedly stated before the game that she would end Russia’s war of aggression if she could, saying that it was “okay” if Kostyuk hated her.

After the game, Sabalenka initially reacted with surprise to the boos and whistles from the audience and bowed in the direction of the spectators. At first she thought that these would apply to her, said the 25-year-old Australian Open winner with a smile. “The game was very difficult and emotional for me.”

Kostjuk did not understand the boo concert against himself at all. “I didn’t expect what happened today. I have no reaction to it, but people should honestly be ashamed,” the 20-year-old said later. “I want to see how people will react in ten years, when the war is over.”

In contrast to other sports, players from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete in tennis because they are considered independent of their states. After an exclusion last year, this will also be the case for the grass classic in Wimbledon.

The Sabalenka match was one of the first to end on the opening day of the 49.6 million euro French Open on a sunny and warm Whitsunday. From an Austrian point of view, Sebastian Ofner (leads against Maxime Cressy/USA with 2-0 sets, note) and later Jurij Rodionov (against Lucas Pouille/FRA) were in action.